Star Wars: Masters and Apprentices
by Jacob Sailer
Summary: AU. On the ice world Hoth, Luke prepares for a showdown with Vader under the guidance of Ahsoka Tano, his father's former apprentice. For Luke, it will be a trial of his resolve. For Ahsoka, her loyalty will be tested with knowledge that could break her bond with the young Skywalker. For Vader, complications arise when an Inquisitor is sent to aid him by the name of... Galen Marek.
1. Prologue

For this stories Title Page, please visit my DeviantArt page (JSailer): (http) : / / jsailer . deviantart (.com) /art / Star-Wars-Masters-and-Apprentinces-a-FanFiction-607681004

* * *

Prologue:

* * *

He looked into the darkness of space, watching as the probe capsule rocketed itself through the void. Narrowly, it missed smashing into a nearby asteroid. It was one of millions of ever-endless debris that floated in the vacuum of space, and in this instant, gravitated against the Imperial Fleet patrolling the region. Despite the present danger to himself and the crew of the Executor Class Star Destroyer, he felt no fear within. Rather it was one of the few times he could feel somewhat at peace.

It was a creeping sensation, something he had tried to banish decades ago. Yet, like the most persistent virus, it remained. It was a constant reminder of who he once was, but could never be again. No, that part of his life gone. The person he had once been, the good man inside, had died a long time ago.

He shifted his posture, allowing his senses to wonder throughout the command bridge of the Star Destroyer. He could feel the crew all around him. Could almost see them all at their posts, monitoring the local system for something out of the ordinary. He could detect the frustrations of every single crewman, and some a slither of what they hoped to find. Yet deeper within each of them, he could feel the fear they all had for him.

It was the reminder of who he had become. What he had become.

 _"_ _Lord Vader."_

It was Captain Piett. He had sensed him making his approach towards him long before he had spoke. Even now, he knew the man was staring at his right side in fear of what was hidden under the black coat.

 _"_ _What is it Captain?"_

Piett hesitated before he spoke. He had heard what happened to officers who, for whatever reason the situation presented, displeased Lord Vader and it made him very much frightened of him. Finally, he coughed to regain his voice and answered:

 _"_ _The—the Emperor commands you to make contact with him."_

In this instant, Vader spun on his heel and brushed past Piett in a movement that made him catch his breath.

 _"_ _Insure that I am not disturbed, Captain."_

 _"_ _Yes—of course, Lord Vader."_

Quickly, Lord Vader made his way to the express lift that would take him directly to the ship's holo-net transmitter chamber. As he worked his way through the halls, ship's personnel and stormtroopers clad in their stark white armor all quickly step aside and made gestures of salutes. He ignored them. His mind was on what was to be discussed. He took the lift down several deck levels of the massive 11-mile length flagship.

At last, he stepped into the chamber. It was a massive room, built for his own personal accommodation. It was after all to be used for one purpose anyway. He knelt at the center of the room; bowing his head over like in a submissive prayer. Seconds later, the hologram projectors kicked in.

 _"_ _What is thy bidding, my Master?"_

He raised his head and there floating in mid-space was the head of the Emperor. He in turn raised, or perhaps in this case lowered his eyes down to his dark disciple kneeling before him. He didn't speak at first, observing him in black armor as his breaths echoed ever so loudly in the confined room. Finally he spoke, his voice gravely as it always was in these times:

 _"_ _There has been a great disturbance in the Force."_

 _"_ _I have felt it, my master."_

Indeed he had. And he knew all too well who was at its epicenter.

 _"_ _We have a new enemy. The apprentice of Skywalker has acquired a student: the young rebel who destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt that he is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker."_

This truly surprised Vader. He had known of the survival of Ahsoka Tano, the old wayward apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, for some time. He had known that pilot he had encountered in the trench on the Death Star had had a powerful connection to the Force. One that was all too familiar to him. He had even felt the combined presence of the two on the planet of Corillia. No, that wasn't what surprised him. What did was the fact that the Emperor knew as well.

 _"_ _How is that possible?"_

 _"_ _Search your feelings, Lord Vader,"_ the Emperor replied with an arctic smile, _"_ _you know it to be true."_

 _"_ _He is just a boy, my master,"_ Vader replied, hiding the growing fear in his voice, _"_ _Obi-Wan can no longer help him. There is nothing more the… apprentice could teach him."_

He had to strain himself not to say her name. He had to focus his will to call her by what the Emperor referred her by, and it pained him to do so. Unseeingly, the Emperor smiled down at him again.

 _"_ _The Force is strong with him. With a master, he will become powerful. Together, they could destroy us."_

 _"_ _If he could be turned,"_ Vader replied slowly and carefully, _"_ _he could become a powerful ally. Perhaps even the apprentice as well. "_

 _"_ _Yes…"_ the Emperor strained the vowels of the word all too deliberately, _"_ _the son of Skywalker could become a great… asset. But… it is too late for the apprentice."_

 _"_ _Master?"_

 _"_ _She has become a threat to us, Lord Vader. She is the last remnant of the Jedi, and has proven… incorruptible. She must be disposed of, Vader. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi."_

Vader felt utterly helpless. Old wounds he had buried long ago resurfaced and ached with utter rot. His master was right. It was too late for her. There was nothing he could do.

 _"_ _If it is your wish, my master."_ He replied at last, bowing his head submissively.

 _"_ _I will dispatch an Inquisitor to aid you in this endeavor."_

Suddenly, his head rose to face his master.

 _"_ _My master, I do not require assistance in this matter."_

 _"_ _I do not doubt your power, Lord Vader, but your history with the apprentice will affect your efforts."_

He knew what he meant. The Inquisitor was not meant to aid him. He was meant to watch him. To ensure he would do as he was bided. The Emperor continued:

 _"_ _I will dispatch Mara Jade—"_

 _"_ _No my master,"_ Vader interjected, _"_ _not her."_

 _"_ _Not her, my apprentice? And why is that?"_

 _"_ _She—she isn't ready for an assignment of this nature."_

 _"_ _Is this so, Lord Vader?"_ The Emperor arched an eyebrow down at him. Vader in this moment returned the stare, almost in a sign of defiance.

 _"_ _She is no doubt powerful, but she is inexperienced. I require one more suited to the task."_

It was a half-truth. Out of all the Inquisitors, she was perhaps the most loyal to the Emperor and therefor he distrusted her.

 _"_ _Who would you have me send in her stead than?"_

 _"_ _Galen Merek."_

She woke with a start. She gripped the sheets of her cot with fists so tight they drew white against her orange skin. Sweat poured down her body in droves, soaking her clothes as much a dive into the ocean. It had been a dream. She couldn't remember what it had been about, but within it she had felt… cold.

It wasn't the normal sensation of cold, even with her on a planet made of nothing but snow. She had been afraid.

But of what? She questioned herself. There was no response however. Only more silence. She shook her head and turned on the light to the room. Slowly the illumination kicked in as she started to dress.

Her eyes ran over the dull, gray room. She hadn't needed her own quarters, but General Calist Rieekan had insisted on the matter. She would have preferred to bunk with the officers. They already mistrusted her because of her abilities. She didn't need them to hate her, too.

She shrugged it off. The enlisted respected her greatly, especially the older veterans who had served side by side with the Jedi during the Clone Wars. As far as the officers went, her rank of commander gave her a position of authority over most of them. However, she knew from both experience and observing the Imperial command hierarchy what mistrust could do within the ranks.

 _"_ _One thing at a time, snips,"_ she said to herself as she zipped up the uniformed white winter coat. She checked the wrist-chron. It was time anyway to check in with her operative. Being halfway across the galaxy made it difficult to keep up with the time lapses, but she'd made due to insure that it worked for him. He was the one buried deep behind enemy lines.

She reached into a wall mounted safe and removed the holo-net comm. unit. She waited a minute for the encrypted call to come through, signaled by red flasher on the side. When it did, she clicked the receiver. Seconds later, an all too familiar face came into view.

 _"_ _Hey, handsome,"_ she smiled. Rex returned the gesture with his own and a polite nod of the head:

 _"_ _Good morning, Commander. Sleep well?"_

Her eyes glanced sideways towards the bed and she shook her head.

 _"_ _And I thought I told you not call me that,"_ she scolded him playfully. He simply shrugged:

 _"_ _Old habits, ma'am. You know me."_

 _"_ _All too well."_

Her eyes rolled over the blue holograms face. It had been a little over five years sense she had recovered the deceased Dr. Uthan's reverse engineered FG36 virus. Originally designed to kill Fett template clones by targeting their DNA markers, the virus had been altered to slow down their rapid aging process. For Rex, it had worked a little well. Now he aged slower than even normal humans.

Rex rubbed his hand through his regulation haircut. Years prior he had shaved it and had grown a beard so massive that even his old comrades in the Torrent Company wouldn't have recognized him. However, when he was assigned to be placed undercover within the ranks of the Stormtrooper Corps., he had grown his hair out again. He didn't mind the change in appearance, in some ways it brought back memories of better times. A time when the enemy had been droids and their Sith masters, and not his fellow brothers.

To Ahsoka, the expression was his tell when something was wrong.

 _"_ _Rex, what is it?"_

 _"_ _Harris, he's dead."_

Thurlow Harris had been another operative deployed by the Rebellion to garner support, even secretive, from the inner rim worlds. Weeks prior he had disappeared. Rex in turn had been deployed to locate and recover him.

 _"_ _What happened?"_

 _"_ _Boba Fett. By the time I found him, he was already dead. I later caught up with Fett on Tatooine. But… he escaped."_

 _"_ _That is rather unorthodox for the Bureau, Rex. Hiring a bounty hunter to track one of our operatives."_

 _"_ _I know. I had expected to encounter the ISB. But that's not important."_

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _Though Fett escaped me, I found out who hired him. It wasn't the Bureau, Ahsoka."_

 _"_ _Then who?"_

 _"_ _Vader."_

The name stunned her. She thought back years prior to the horrifying moment when she had first encountered the Dark Lord, the moment she realized the truth about him. It wouldn't be the last time either. She closed her eyes; the faces of the dead murdered in Vader's quest to hunt her down haunted her still. As she opened them again, she thought of her 'apprentice'.

 _"_ _Then he knows. Doesn't he, Rex?"_

 _"_ _I don't see any other reason why he would hire Fett,"_ he replied his voice grave in the knowledge of the coming storm, _"_ _we already know he was looking for him after he destroyed the Death Star."_

 _"_ _Oh Luke,"_ she cried as she buried her face in her hands, _"_ _I can't keep lying to him."_

There were only two people in the Rebellion who knew the truth about Darth Vader. Who knew the horrible connection he had to the Hero of the Rebellion, now the apprentice to one of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy.

 _"_ _Then it's time,"_ Rex replied, his face lightening as he did, _"_ _we both knew this day would come one way or another."_

 _"_ _But Obi-Wan—"_

 _"_ _Is dead, Ahsoka. I know you've been… speaking to him. But right now we don't have any other choice. Luke needs to know the truth about his father."_

She didn't respond. Instead she continued to stare at the floor as though it was alive. Her body was still, but her mind raced with the risk they would have to take. She remembered Corillia. When the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man she had revered as an uncle of sorts, came to her with a request.

He'd told her of the son of Anakin, who was on the very same planet they stood on. Told her that this Luke Skywalker was perhaps the last hope for the galaxy. That with her teachings, he could become powerful enough to face Vader. She hadn't cared at the time. She had cursed him for having hid away all these years when the rest of the galaxy had burned under the wrath of her former master.

She'd been one of the founding members of what would one day become the Rebellion. She had fought to break the iron grip the Empire had had on the galaxy. She had even found fellow Jedi, and her oldest friend, during those early years. But as their success grew so did the wrath of the Empire. Then her mind flashed to her.

In the old days, she had been as close as a sister. Until one day she drew too close to the Dark Side, and attempted to frame her in the murder of Republic soldiers. It had taken the efforts of her master and an unlikely ally to prove her innocence, but the damage had been done. In her time of need, the order had abandoned her. So too had she left them.

Ironically, it had been what had saved her life. As the galaxy turned on the Order, she had been far enough away from the worst to survive and hone her abilities. Then years later that strength had been tested when she had encountered… her. She couldn't bring herself to say her name. Then the memory came.

They had fought. The clash had been bloody, and she had the scars to prove it. But in the end, Ahsoka had come out on top. She had struck the Inquisitor down. Yet, as she lay dying in her arms, she had given her one last message:

 _"_ _You're looking… at… your own… future. The galaxy has… washed its hands of us. He… will… never stop… hunting… you. And you'll… end up… like… me."_

Then she closed her eyes one last time. She had been right. It had taken years, but it happened eventually. And in the aftermath she grew tired of it all. She had enough. For the second time in her life, she threw away the mantle of the Jedi and hid for nearly three years. Then Obi-Wan found her, then Vader, then Skywalker.

He had saved her life. In that moment, her heart had melted and she knew what she needed to do. Once more, she took up her sabers and rejoined the Rebellion. And in that time, she took Luke under her wing and began to train him with all she had known. Now years later, she was faced with a choice she didn't know if she could make.

 _"_ _Obi-Wan told me what could happen if I do, Rex."_

 _"_ _Ahsoka, you're lying to yourself if you believe that,"_ this drew her eyes to him, _"_ _I know him. You know him. He has the heart of his father, but the wisdom of Kenobi."_

She couldn't help but smile at him for the simple knowledge that only Rex knew how to say. It had only been yesterday that Luke had actually managed to match her in telekinetics. She had lifted a T-47 and had Luke try to move it while she resisted with her applied power. It had taken months, but finally he had grown strong enough to not only hold the massive snowspeeder, but to even take control of it and gently place in its docking clamps on the other side of the room. It had utterly exhausted him to do so, but she knew that after this hurdle he would only continue to grow.

 _"_ _He's learning faster than I can teach him, Rex. Soon,"_ she chuckled to herself at the thought, _"_ _he might be teaching me a thing or two."_

 _"_ _You're selling him a little short, Ahsoka,"_ he replied with a warm grin, _"_ _he's a Skywalker. Next thing we know, he'll probably be pulling Star Destroyers out of the sky and using them as smash bats."_

Ahsoka laughed at image of Luke using an entire 3 mile length warship as basically a baseball bat.

 _"_ _Only balls big enough for that would have to be moons."_

It was a release. They laughed amongst themselves without pause for nearly a minute until their mouths hurt. They hadn't seen nor heard from each other for months, and at the moment that wasn't likely to happen. Though a considerable number of systems had long sense joined the Rebellion in the years following the destruction of the Death Star and more were likely on the way, the galaxy was growing more and more turbulent. Dark years were sure to follow in its wake.

The Empire no longer saw the Rebellion as just a simple bunch of disobedient children scattered throughout the galaxy. They were organized now. They were growing and they were everywhere. Many of the planets secretly backing them were supplying them top mark blasters, ships and even volunteers after seeing that the Empire could be beaten. No, they were no longer just a squabble of insurrectionists.

Now they were an army, and an army with Jedi in tow.

 _"_ _Have you told General Cracken of your discoveries?"_

 _"_ _No, I wanted to let you know first."_

 _"_ _Don't let me stop you, old friend,"_ she smiled warmly, turning her back to retrieve her twin sabers from her footlocker, _"_ _let me know if you have anything else."_

 _"_ _I will. Luke…"_

 _"_ _I know Rex."_

She closed her eyes and let out a slow sigh before collapsing on the bed.

 _"_ _I will tell him when he is ready."_


	2. Hoth

Chapter One: Hoth

* * *

The object hit the planet's atmosphere at an incredible speed, engulfed by dazzling heat as it rocketed toward the surface of the world. Seconds later, it entered the stratosphere and plumed at an arch as chunks of its debris were stripped from the friction and sent hurting back to be burned up. This in turn left behind a glaring red trail in its wake like the launch of a rocket. Then within exactly five seconds it hit the surface with a loud _boom_ that shook the ground in its power. Great waves of snow and ice were sent hurtling up nearly six feet in the air in a splatter pattern as the immediate layer of the frost bitten ground melt and gave in to cushion the space object.

From a distance of about three miles away, a single human rider had noticed the massive explosion. Instinctively, he reined in his massive tauntaun and drew his high power binoculars. It took him a second to adjust it to the proper calibration, but when he did he saw the great plumes of steam and smoke rising from the crater.

 _Another meteor,_ he thought to himself. Yet something gnawed at his gut about this particular crater. No, there was something different about this one, but what? He didn't know if it was instinct that made him wonder, or if it was the Force. He knew that part of his life had become stronger under the constant tutelage of his master, but he wasn't sure.

Promptly, he raised his wrist communicator and dialed the response:

 _"_ _Echo 3 to Echo 7. Han ol' buddy do you ready me?"_

A second later, the comm.. responded:

 _"_ _Loud and clear, Kid. What's up?"_

 _"_ _I've finished my sweep, but a meteor just hit the ground here."_

 _"_ _Kid, you worry too much. Meteors hit this place all the time."_

 _"_ _I know, but there's something… odd about it."_

 _"_ _You sense something, kid?"_

It wasn't a secret that he had been receiving training from the Trogrutan Commander. That he was apparently growing stronger every day in the ways of the Force. The rumors had every possible story for every possible thing Luke was capable of doing, ranging from being able to make the planet shake to throwing fire from his hands. On the other end of the conversation, Han Solo shook his head. All nonsense, he knew.

A time ago he never believed in the mystical powers of the Force. But his adventures with Luke and his teachings with Ahsoka Tano had shaken it. Finally, any shred of disbelief had been dashed aside when not two days prior he had bear witness to a spectacular sight. He had just entered the hangar looking for Luke when suddenly the Snowspeeder just in front of him start to rise from the ground completely of its own free will. It lobbed shakily in midair as it started to move across the room. But there, in the center of the hangar was his young friend sitting in a meditative position with his hand tracking the levitating speeder.

Just behind him was the orange skinned alien (who he had started to take a liking to) with her hand rested firmly on his shoulder, guiding him through the trial. Luke strained from the heavy concentration; massive pours off sweat ran down his body as though he was running a marathon. His eyes were closed shut as he moved the 18 ton aircraft up and over the rafters before at last setting it down onto its loading clamps. After the clamps locked on with a loud _hiss,_ Luke collapsed over onto the floor, utterly exhausted as the Trogrutan Jedi aided him back to his feet. Later, she had told Han that his own face had been worth a thousand starships.

He already trusted Luke's instincts. Now he knew he had to trust his 'senses'.

 _"_ _Do you need any backup, kid?"_

 _"_ _Nah, don't worry. I'll be alright."_

 _"_ _Alright, well the sensors are up so I'm heading back. "_

 _"_ _I won't be long."_

As the comm. went out, Luke swiveled in his saddle to get a better position when suddenly his mount started to scream.

 _"_ _Easy girl,"_ he braced his hand over her neck soothingly, _"what—"_

Then he felt it. Quickly he went for his blaster, and had it drawn when it was upon him. In the white backdrop it must have been stalking him for several minutes, finally pouncing when the human dropped his guard. The beast was massive, towering over both rider and mount like a wrathful titan as it attacked. Luke managed to get one shot off, aimed right for center mass. It only stalled the creature for a mere second before its massive clawed hand slammed him off the Tauntaun and onto the ground.

Then it struck the Tauntaun on the side of the neck. The blow broke its neck in two, dropping her right next to its unconscious master.

* * *

Ahsoka Tano suddenly felt a shock that hit her like a thunderbolt to the chest. It hit her so fast that she couldn't understand its origin or its matter. With effort, she reached into the Force, hoping to find where the feeling had come from. But in the end she felt nothing save a constant sea of emptiness. She shook her head and readjusted her flash goggles over her eyes.

 _"_ _Hurrghh?"_

It was Chewbacca. He was seated over on the #2 engine port repairing a fuse line in the ion shaft.

 _"_ _I'm okay, Chewie,"_ she replied, looking up at him with a warm smile, _"don't worry about me. Worry about the fuse line about to burn your coat!"_

 _"_ _Hurggha!?"_

Suddenly a section of the fuse line erupted momentarily and blew up a shower of sparks that set fire to Chewbacca's leg. He shot from the Y-Wing and batted madly at the singed fur. What he didn't know was the levitating bucket of water hovering right over his head. A little push later and the Wookiee was completely drenched in cold water. Chewbacca clenched his fists as the ice cold water worked its way down his body like a coiling snake; a growl growing on his face as smart about faced.

At the sight of rageous Wookiee Ahsoka burst out laughing. For several seconds, Chewbacca glowered at her. Then he found the laughter contagious.

 _"_ _Hahahah… ahem, I'm sorry Chewie. Here,"_ she then levitated a long cloak from a nearby locker to hand, _"dry off."_

She then tossed the cloak over to him, who caught it deftly with one hand. He took one look at her, and then suddenly erupted a violent shake that threw the moisture into a thousand directions like a bomb. But most hit their mark. Right on the orange skinned Commander.

 _"_ _You giant walking carpet!"_ She laughed as she wiped water from her eyes.

 _"_ _Haaugh!"_

 _"_ _I didn't mean dry off that way!"_

 _"_ _Harugha Gahha!"_

 _"_ _I had nothing to do with singeing your leg!"_

 _"_ _Hwagga!"_

 _"_ _Oh, I'm going to get you back for that,"_ she cursed darkly, _"And that's a promise."_

In response, he feigned shock and fear mockingly. She shook her head in despair.

 _"_ _Enough of your fun and games, you mop-head,"_ she turned her head back to the forward stabilizer and reset the plasma cutter to a low fuse, _"after you're done with the fuse line I'll still need to run a diagnoses on the Y-Wing's preliminary systems."_

 _"_ _Hurmaga?"_

 _"_ _Don't worry Chewie. We'll be done by the time Han gets back."_

 _"_ _Hurg. Haahg Has?"_

 _"_ _Well if I have some time, sure. Granted after what the Falcon's gone through, I think she'll need more than just the two of us to get her in working order."_

 _"_ _Hur?"_

 _"_ _Did I say I wouldn't help?"_

She applied the high heat beam to the bolts surrounding the repair stabilizer. All around the ship were the signs of many campaigns in the line of duty. The vessel was a battered, second hand bomber that had taken more blaster burns than she'd been built for. Even worse, she was the oldest warship in the whole of the Rebellion. It had been built for another war a lifetime ago, and had spent a large majority of the past two decades mothballed in storage.

By all accounts, this Y-Wing was better suited for scrap. But then most didn't know of the fighter-bomber's history. It had served in more battles than most and had brought down some of the most feared Battle Cruisers in two wars. It had saved countless lives in some of the greatest star battles in living memory, including its own pilot more than once. She had spent many years trying to recover it and had only done so barely a year prior.

She would be damned if it was going anywhere but into the fight.

 _"_ _Hurgah!"_

 _"_ _Alright, let me run the diagnoses than."_

She fused the last bolt into place, and then slid into the cockpit. She hit the starter switch and started the power lines up. After a few seconds, the command board came online. She then pulled down a manual checklist and began sighting off functional systems. Once this was done, she then ran a system diagnoses to see if the Y-Wing would be ship worthy. While this was going on, Chewbacca sealed the panel over Engine #2 and head to the front.

 _"_ _Hurgha?"_

 _"_ _Systems look nominal,"_ she then depressed an on board computer, _"Grav-sets are 5by5."_

 _"_ _Hurca?"_

 _"_ _Alright, that looks fine. Let's check vertical takeoff. Hang on."_

She then hit a panel button on her joystick and the Y-Wing rose from the ground like a reaper in a graveyard, hovering over the ground a solid six feet.

 _"_ _Hurghana!"_

She had to smile at that. In the basic tongue, the Wookiee had shouted Eureka! She ran one last test on comm. systems before at last setting down. She popped open the cockpit and firmly embraced the Wookiee, who returned the feeling warmly.

 _"_ _Thanks for the help. Now if you—"_

 _"_ _Chewie! What the hell is this!?"_

Togrutan and Wookiee both turned to see Han staring up at them, he's face basked in utter annoyance:

 _"_ _I thought you were working on the Falcon, you fuzzball. Do you wanna end up a permanent resident!?"_

 _"_ _Han,"_ Ahsoka stepped forward with her hand raised in calming gesture, _"it was my fault. I asked Chewie to give me a hand with the Y-Wing…"_

 _"_ _That thing!?"_ Han scowled, gesturing a finger at the fighter-bomber, _"That relic is more suited for a damn scrap yard! And you Chewie!"_

 _"_ _Hurragh?"_

 _"_ _We've got a bounty on our heads, remember? Was the bounty hunter on Ormandelo not enough incentive for us to get going!?"_

 _"_ _Han!"_ Ahsoka suddenly exclaimed, drawing his attention to her, _"I told you it was my fault, and as far as my Y-Wing being junk… I could say the same about the Falcon."_

Han was stunned, and so was Chewbacca. To them, the Millennium Falcon wasn't a ship. It wasn't just some ordinary, inanimate piece of junked metal assembled around an explosive core that more likely to give out than work. No, **she** was their home. In grief or in poverty; they at least had heard. A place to call home.

Ahsoka knew as much. She knew what the Falcon was to them. It was at very much the same sentimental value she put in the very craft they were standing on. It was hers yes, but it had also been her former master's; her friend, her brother in many senses. Now it was the only thing left she had that could even remotely remind her of what she had lost; the good she had once known.

As she thought, she peered into the mind of Han Solo. Not in a bluntly obtrusive way, but in a gentle, subtle means. He wouldn't even know that his very thoughts were being seen, in fragments, by the 'former' Jedi. Within, she saw the Falcon. She saw the many happy memories Han had of her, of being onboard with Chewie and… Luke.

Despite his appearance, Han wasn't truly a scoundrel. Han wanted what any other man who's never had much wanted. Happiness. But not in the materialistic meaning, not really. Chewie was his closest friend, Luke something of a younger, innocent, brother. Looking deeper, she saw a conversation between the two of them.

It was four years ago, just prior to the destruction of the Empire. Luke had cursed Han for leaving, saying he'd only been in it for the money. She could feel Han's emotions in those moments. Yeah, he'd been in it for the money at first and he'd seen the kid as just another farm boy. But in that moment he'd seen something different in Luke.

Han had been beaten down and had been broke enough times that he'd simply lost any kind of shred of hope. Yet, here was this boy, this farm kid who'd come from nothing who'd refused to back down to anyone and was willing to get himself killed for people he didn't even know. All because he believed it was the right thing. It was inspiring to Han. It'd unlocked a part of him that he'd thought he'd lost forever.

That was why, she knew, he'd come back on Death Star. Why he'd stuck around for so long. But now he had to balance what was right and what he needed to do for himself. On the other end of the mental spectrum, Han knew something was off and he knew what it was.

 _"_ _Like what you saw?"_ he asked with a grin. Ahsoka glared at him in annoyance.

 _"_ _You're not my type, Solo."_

 _"_ _You have a type?"_

That did it. She'd had enough. She jumped from the craft and began to storm off. In that moment, Han felt an overwhelming sense of guilt over something he knew to be utterly stupid. Quickly called out to her:

 _"_ _Wait, Ahsoka! Wait!"_

She stopped in her tracks and about-faced, staring at him with cold eyes. He in turn couldn't match the intensity of her glare. He bowed his head and sighed.

 _"_ _Look I'm sorry. It's just…"_

He's eyes darted back to the Falcon parked on the otherside of the hanger, beautiful in her mismatch and battered state.

 _"_ _She's all I got."_

 _"_ _Hurragh!"_

 _"_ _Alright. All_ _ **we**_ _got… left. She's the only thing I've got that I could call home."_

And with that, Ahsoka Tano's heart melted and she could sigh.

 _"_ _I know. I saw… felt... your connection to the Falcon."_

 _"_ _That's what you saw?"_

 _"_ _Among other things. Luke for example."_

 _"_ _Yeah well,"_ he turned his head slightly bemused as he gripped the back of it with his free hand, his eyes moving over to where Skywalker's X-Wing lay, _"nothing can keep him down for long. And what you're doing for him…"_

 _"_ _Yes?"  
_

 _"I think it's good for him. I never put much faith in the Force, but after seeing what he can do… I can't judge something like that. So I guess thanks."_

She smiled at that, and Han couldn't help but smile back. Then he grinned at her:

 _"_ _Just do me a favor and don't go poking around in my head again, 'kay?"_

 _"_ _Sorry,"_ she chuckled, _"I do it without thinking sometimes."_

 _"_ _Yeah, well put a leash 'round me, then. There are things in here you probably don't want to see."_

 _"_ _I have no doubt. Hey listen, I offered Chewie I'd help with the Falcon…"_

 _"_ _Thanks. Maybe with three pairs of hands we might get her back into working order again."_

 _"_ _Hey by the way where is Luke anyway?"_

 _"_ _Oh, he went to go check a meteorite. Probably be back in a bit. Why?"_

 _"_ _Just…"_ she sighed deeply and closed her eyes, her thoughts turning inward, _"just something I need tell him."_

 _"_ _Alright."_

And with that, he turned on his heel and headed down the hallway towards the main command center.

* * *

The Lambda-class T-4a shuttle touched down in the hanger amid the clammier of alarms, ships personnel clearing away the landing space and soldiers quickly moving into formation in neat, orderly columns. As the shuttle landed; the primary doors to the hanger open with a loud _zing_ and Darth Vader stepped through, flanked by Brigadier General Maximilian Veers and Captain Firmus Piett as well as a cadre of veteran Stormtroopers. The cabal of senior officials marched their way down the landing platform path towards the shuttle. When they arrived at the ritualistic twenty foot distance, the ramp to the shuttle unclamped and began to descend with a loud hiss of escaping pressurized air. As the ramp descended; a dark, foreboding figure approached.

 _"_ _Starkiller,"_ Vader echoed.

 _"_ _Lord Vader,"_ the figure responded, his voice mechanical and synchronized to something sounding akin to a growl. Quickly the figure dropped to one knee and bowed his head before his superior, and in many ways: his master.

 _"_ _Rise, assassin."_

The man before them was a terrifying sight. Both Piett and Veers were veteran commanders, yet what they saw truly made them shutter in genuine fear. The man was clad in black, overlaying quilted robes under a series of dull gray armored plates that covered over his chest in a V pattern. Yet above that was the mask. To Piett's eyes looked a cross between an Ubese Bounty Hunter Mask and that of a Mandolorian. It was sleek and form fitting, like the bare resemblance of a gaunt skull that angled slightly inward just behind the eyes.

In the front was a sharp T handled visor point at each end. Below that was a kind of grilled breath respirator that formed like the maw of some monstrous creature. This was Galen Merek or better know by his title Starkiller; one of the most notorious of the Sith Inquisitors. These were force sensitive assassin's who answered to Vader and the Emperor alone and were greatly feared by many in the Empire for their brutality and utter disregard for any who got in their way. Imperial soldiers included.

Veers sharp, combat trained eyes caught something else as well. Located on his belt was of course a lightsaber. Except it wasn't the only one. There were three others. And these had the robust look of a Jedi.

 _"_ _I see you have regained your strength, Galen,"_ Vader spoke with the slightest sense of sympathy, his helm moving about his student's new armor, _"And gained a new… appearance."_

 _"_ _Of course, Lord Vader,"_ Starkiller replied, his voice submissive in respect for Vader, _"the damage sustained to me by the… apprentice, have been repaired."_

Vader stared into the visor of his greatest student, all too aware of the likeness of the war helmet to his own. The angular positions of the face and the overall gaunt appearance made that all too clear. A part of Vader felt offended by this mockery. But the other part of him rejoiced at it. While he'd always known where the assassin's loyalties laid; this attempt of appeasement only confirmed it.

 _"_ _Good,"_ Vader replied at last, breaking the almost unbearable silence that had been slowly overbearing the room, _"we have much to do. General Veers, Captain Piett."_

 _"_ _My Lord?"_ both men responded.

 _"_ _We will discuss the nature of the assassin's mission in my chambers. Ensure I am not disturbed."_

 _"_ _Of course, Lord Vader."_

Without a second word, the two Sith departed the hangar and made their way into the very heart of the Executor. When they were sure the two were a long ways away, General Veers called out to the soldiers standing at attention:

 _"_ _Company! Dis-MISSED!"_

Instinctually, the men stepped back with the sound of a hundred boots stepping together as one and roared _Aye Aye, General Sir_ and performing an about-face to return to previous duty. As the company dispersed, Veers eyed Piett and Piett returned the look:

 _"_ _Why would they send an Inquisitor?"_ Veers inquired, sounding off both of their fearful questions, _"especially that monster?"_

It was no secret to the particularly brutal methods Starkiller employed in his missions. And of the Imperial bodycount associated with them. Piett simply shook his head.

 _"_ _Only one thing. The Jedi."_

 _"_ _Skywalker?"_

 _"_ _No doubt, General. Vader has been on his trail ever since he learned of his identity years ago."_

 _"_ _May the Force pity them when those two find them."_

 _"_ _Pity them? Pity everybody even in system when that happens!"_

* * *

The hydraulic door opened with an effort. A moment later the two Sith entered the private quarters of Darth Vader. When the doors closed, Vader spun on his heel and stared down at his most trusted lieutenant.

 _"_ _What is thy bidding my master?"_ Starkiller asked with a respectful, obedient tone. For several seconds, Vader continued to stare at the Inquisitor until finally he turned once again to peer into the open maw of his hyperbaric chamber.

 _"_ _Tell me, my apprentice, what is the objective of your mission? Truthfully."_

Starkiller replied without a second thought or hesitation:

 _"_ _To aid in the capture—or if the situation requires, elimination of the Apprentice and Skywalker. And should you be unable or unwilling to carry out such orders, I am to carry such orders myself in your stead—forcefully, I might add."_

 _"_ _And what are your true intentions?"_

 _"_ _To carry out as thy bids, my master."_

With this, Vader back towards Starkiller.

 _"_ _Good. In due time, we will discover the whereabouts of the Rebels—and in turn the Jedi."_

 _"_ _I look forward to encountering… her, again,"_ Starkillers deathlike mask turned towards his chest, the many surgical scars buried beneath quilt and plas-steel armor, _"she will find me prepared for her tricks this time."_

 _"_ _Her life is not yours to take,"_ Vader suddenly snapped angrily, causing Starkiller to shift his attention to Vader once again, _"nor is she to be slain during this endeavor."_

 _"_ _My master, I understand the need acquisition of Skywalker. He is still young in the Force. But the Apprentice is—"_

 _"_ _An asset,"_ Vader cut him off coldly, _"one that if turned would benefit us greatly. The Emperor however, must not be known to her survival."_

 _"_ _I understand my master."_

 _"_ _Good. Now—show me what you have learned."_


	3. Whirlwind

Chapter Two: Whirlwind

* * *

He'd drifted from a nightmare into terrifying reality. In his mind; the death of Ben Kenobi haunted him still. It was the same recurring nightmare. He watched from afar as his mentor, the man who brought him onto the path of destiny, battled for his life against him. The man who had murdered his father; his armor reflecting in dazzling reds and blues as their blades struck.

He felt utterly helpless. He tried to move his legs, to try and maybe save Ben. But in the end, the red glaring blade came down like an executioner's axe and the dream ended. Then he opened his eyes. He had absolutely no idea where he was.

His eyes moved about the scene and he realized something. He moved his head forward and he saw it: his feet were frozen into the ceiling and he was hanging upside down! This sudden movement then brought a sudden stiffness to his joints, and a pulsing pain erupted just to the side of face. He felt utterly dizzy as his numb body was jarred into wakefulness, igniting hot pinneedles in his limbs. He allowed himself to hang there, waiting until the pain ceased enough for him to at least move a little.

He scanned the room. Not it wasn't a room. It was a cave. A very big cave. Then the memory hit him: a blur of white attacking him from out of nowhere and knocking him to the floor!

He fought back the fear enveloping him. He used a mental technique Ahsoka had taught him to sway the odds in his favor. He imagined a dark hole in his mind and willed his fear, and his pain, into the hole. They descend down into the darkness, never to be seen again. With this done, he shifted his weight, trying to break free of the ice that encased his feet.

It was no use. He couldn't break free. Attempting to do so only made him dizzier. He willed his mind to remain clear and reached out into the Force; hoping desperately to find… something… that could help him. Then he felt it: his lightsaber!

His father's lightsaber, a voice inside told him. He commanded the Force to guide him to the object, allow him to find it. There, he could see it. It was just below him. He controlled a sudden rush of adrenaline that threatened to throw him anxious rush.

He had to discipline his mind. He couldn't reach the blade, but he could will the Force to pull it to him. Then he felt it. There was something else in the cave… something hungry. The creature was just around the corner, deeper in the cavern.

He pulled himself back mentally. If he wasn't carefully; the creature would sense his presence. The creature was feeding ravenously. It was distracted, but it wouldn't be for much longer. He exerted himself to focus on the blade, and nothing else.

He concentrated on the hilt of lightsaber; allowing his mind to join the flow of the Force. He reached out his hand to guide it to him; acting as a focal point for the truly awesome power. Then suddenly the blade flew from the ground and right into the palm of his hand. There was no time to waste: he ignited the blue colored blade and slashed at the outcropping just above his feet. Then in another second he was back on the ground.

The creature was moving. It had heard the blade activating and was lumbering over investigate the disturbance. By the time it rounded the corner; Luke was ready, but he couldn't help but gasp at was facing him. The creature was massive, bigger than Chewbacca by atleast half a meter with massive plumes of white, blood stained fur. It roared out at him through a disgusting maw of jagged teeth, throwing up its enormous clawed paws as it charged; it's scarlet eyes fevered by a mixture of hot anger and an overwhelming desire to feast.

Luke closed his eyes. In his mind he saw what he needed to see: the creatures beating heart in a background of black. As it neared him, ready to swipe at him; Luke lunged with the saber held in firm hands. The blue blade rushed through; burning its way past fur, flesh and bone until it hit its mark. The creature stopped.

It had never felt such heat. Such concentrated heat. Then came an overwleming sense of cold that washed over its body like a dip into the sea. He stared down at its chest; stunned in the sudden realization of its death. Then the cold was replaced by a sudden numbness; its legs gave way to the ground with a loud thump and within a few seconds of that its mind went blank.

For what in his mind felt hours Luke stared at the body of the massive snow monster. It utterly surprised him how easy it was to manipulate, to command the Force to slaughter with utter impunity. It shook him to his soul, and the blanketing darkness that he had banished from his mind returned to haunt him. Dark thoughts and emotions began creeping into his psyche and he couldn't bear to look at the slain creature again.

Clear your mind, he thought to himself as he closed his eyes, you must clear your mind.

But it didn't. A new memory arrived like the rotation of a theatre singer to instill a further corruption of the mind. It was him. It was Vader. There on Cymoon all those years ago.

 _"_ _You killed my Father!"_

 _"_ _I killed many fathers, boy. You'll have to be more specific."_

He had stood toe-to-toe with the Dark Lord, vowing to avenge his father in that moment. Yet, he was all too helpless against his knowledge of the Force. He was dispatched in seconds, Vader poised to strike him down with his father's weapon and it had only been blind luck that had saved him. He couldn't shake it: the feeling of utter weakness in the face of truly terrifying power.

It hadn't ended there. He had been lost and aimless in becoming a Jedi. He fumbled and failed at every step and turn. Then, like the end of a nightmare, he had met her: the former apprentice of his father. She was perhaps the only connection, save for one other, to parents he never knew.

 _"_ _What were they like… my parents?"_

 _"_ _They were like brother and sister to me, Luke. I looked up to them, wanted to be them sometimes, especially your mother. She was gracious in every regard. Granted, I think I may have copied too much of your father's recklessness in those days. I remember the many times he had to pull me back from the fire."_

He owed her everything. She had taken his woeful efforts and in more than a year had showed him things he never thought possible. Always was the smile; that sanguine leer that warmed his heart after he accomplished that which he thought beyond him. He had seen it before on Ben, but never this intimate. And in this he beamed at the memory.

 _"_ _You've still a ways to go,"_ she had said to him, _"But I know it to be true: you will become the greatest out of us all. I am proud to be your teacher."_

Then like the arrival of a sandstorm back home on Tatooine came urgency of the present. He had to leave. He didn't know if there were more dangers and he had to find his way back to the base. Before it became dark. If it didn't, he would never find his way back.

With renewed vigor he dashed for the exit and climbed his way to the surface. He pulled himself up through the snow, but when he reached the top he was in equal parts terrified and relieved at what he found. All around was an endless sea of white in every direction. Even worse, he had no idea where he was. He could be miles off the patrol route and not even know it. But he at least had time on his side.

The sun was still in the middle of the sky. That would give him six hours tops. If he could at least find his way back to the patrol route he might have a chance. But how would he do it? There were no landmarks he could identify, just empty valleys of snow.

 _"_ _In moments of despair,"_ Ahsoka words rang through his mind like a bell, _"trust in the Force. Let it flow through you. Let it guide you."_

He sighed, and released his mind once more to its graces. His mind felt lifted, weightless. He could feel his subconscious peering all about him in the world wake. He could feel the energy of the living Force guiding him, showing him the world he could never see with his own eyes.

 _"_ _You're eyes can deceive you, don't trust them,"_ Ben had told him, _"Reach out with your feelings."_

Then he saw it. Exactly a dozen meters to his right: the creature's tracks.

* * *

 _"_ _This piece of intelligence is most alarming,"_ Cracken said as his peered through the rest of Rex's recording, his eyes trailing back to where Ahsoka stood, _"Thurlow Harris was a good operative. And the fact a bounty hunter was used instead of an ISB kill team does raise some obvious questions."_

He then locked eyes with Trogrutan.

 _"_ _Are you sure it was Vader who hired him?"_

 _"_ _If Rex thinks so, yes."_

 _"_ _And you're certain it was because of Commander Skywalker?"_

 _"_ _General, Vader has been searching for Luke ever since he destroyed the Death Star. In fact, you could say he's become obsessed with it."_

 _"_ _That sounds rather personal."_

 _"_ _It is. Vader murdered Anakin Skywalker, my master and Luke's father years ago during the Clone Wars."_

 _"_ _I do not doubt your judgment or your experience, Commander,"_ Cracken replied carefully, _"but why be so concerned about one Jedi?"_

 _"_ _Skywalker stood as a testament of what Vader could not be. He will see that blood line destroyed before it could rise to challenge him again."_

 _"_ _Do you think this might become a danger to the Rebellion?"_

 _"_ _With all due respect sir, Vader's very existence poises the biggest threat to the Rebellion. And in truth, I feel Luke may be the only one with the potential to best him."_

 _"_ _I am not blind to his training. The Force only knows we need more Jedi on our side. But will he be enough?"_

 _"_ _He has to be."_

He watched her carefully, especially the sudden movements above the 'eyebrows'. He had in his time as Director of Alliance Intelligence become quite good at reading people and this was no exception. This was personal to her, and he could see quite clearly the layers of pain that were hidden beneath her usual regimen exterior. He knew she was being sincere, but he didn't know how he felt about that. It wasn't the fact that he didn't trust her, but he never liked dealing with an unknown factor.

He didn't deny the absolute respect and admiration he had for her. She had laid the foundation of what the Alliance would become. And her return had done nothing but good for them. Already the rumor of Jedi fighting against the Empire had done its fair share of bringing many new allies into the fold. In addition, her skill as a battlefield commander, in the cockpit and on the ground, had won many victories singlehandedly and greatly boosted troop morale.

It in many ways made him feel like a young cadet again in the Grand Army of the Republic. But he feared the deep connection she not only had for Skywalker, but also with Vader. He was greatly afraid of that connection possibly endangering the Alliance. He after all knew all too well what revenge could do to a person. And to all others around them.

He shook his head, however. He trusted her instincts. Besides, he knew Luke had not only bested him over the Death Star, but had actually survived a close encounter with the monster himself during the raid on Cymoon 1 three years prior. He, among many other cadets of the old days, knew well of Anakin Skywalker's exploits during the Clone Wars. If Luke had even half of what his father possessed…

He let that trail of thought end. He had to be pragmatic about what he had. He couldn't rely on simple hope for this situation, especially when one of the best of the Rebellion was at the very top Vader's hitlist. He stared at the comm. table for a long while, mulling over what should be done. Granted, what he thought should be done and what General Carlist Rieekan, the base commander and technically his boss as well as Skywalker's, decision on the matter were two separate things.

If he had things his way, he would ground Skywalker for the time being. But in the end he knew he needed the Jedi warrior more than anything else.

 _"_ _Continue his training,"_ he answered finally, shifting his eyes back to Ahsoka, _"and let us hope you are right. Dismissed."_

And with that she turned on her heel and headed for the door leading back to the command center. As she passed through the jumble of staff and technicians monitoring and maintaining bases systems and the perimeter sensors, her thoughts turned inward, allowing her mind to drift in the vacuum of her troubled reality. The dream, somehow out of reach to memory, troubled her greatly. Within its confound she had felt terrified, cold… but she didn't know why.

Yet it was her inability to reach into the Force and recall the dream to mind that proved it's rather sinister nature. She had felt the shroud of the Dark Side within, menacing and foreboding with a vague warning of danger. She felt out of control like she was freefalling into darkness. It reminded her of the one memory that haunted her no matter how distant she tried to make herself from her past. Descending down the Temple steps, the feeling of hopelessness, confusion and uncertainty dragging heavily in her psyche as she looked one last time at her master, her brother, before leaving behind a life she had known all of her life.

And now, like it had in the Clone Wars, the Darkness returned to ensnare her in its malevolent embrace. She shook her head. She knew who the true enemy was now. She would not be deceived and when they crossed paths again, she would not hesitate. The man he had once been, the one she had tried to rescue from the evil that inhabited his material body, was gone.

Too many friends, too many allies, too many of her fellow Jedi were gone because she had hesitated to strike him down. Never again.

 _"_ _Han we need you!"_

 _"_ _We need? Well what about you?"_

She shook her head and laughed silently to herself. They were at it again: the scoundrel and the princess. Every chance they got, they would bicker more than an old couple. She paused just behind the corner and waited.

 _"_ _And what precisely am I supposed to know?"_

 _"_ _C'mon, you want me to stay because of the way you feel about me!"_

 _"_ _Yes, you're a great help to us, you're a natural leader!"_

 _No that's not it all Leia,_ she chuckled to herself, just almost at the same time that Han replied something similar before storming off shouting:

 _"_ _You could use a good kiss!"_

In her typical fashion, the Princess balled her fist and began to march back to the command center in such an explosive fury that passerby's immediately ducked to the side rather then feel even a pinch of her feminine rage. This was not the first time this had happened. Granted the worst case had been when one of Han's many "wives" tried to collect a bounty on the pair of them and had continued to blackmail them for the next month until she finally got bored. This was just a run of the mill.

 _"_ _That sounded serious, your highness"_ she said at her elbow as Leia passed her by. Almost immediately she turned on her heel and glared at her with a face of pure indignation. Ahsoka returned the look with a smug smile. It didn't take long before she gave into laughter.

 _"_ _He's just so difficult all of the time!"_

 _"_ _And that surprises you?"_

 _"_ _Not really."_

They couldn't resist giggling. It was a release for both of them. And it last a good minute before it finally died down enough.

 _"_ _Why don't you just tell him how you feel?"_ Ahsoka crossed her arms together across her chest in a manner of all seriousness, _"The two of bicker as if you were married."_

 _"_ _Married!?"_ Leia exclaimed, _"Married!? To him? The man is just so... so much a scoundrel!"_

 _"_ _Leia dear,"_ she smiled as she extended her hand on to her shoulder like a consulting aunt, _"Han feels the same as you do, just he displays it in the only way he knows how."_

 _"_ _Rudely you mean? With absolutely no concept of courtship or even how to properly address a woman?"_

 _"_ _This isn't the court of Serenno. And I happen to have plenty of experiences with scoundrels."_

 _"_ _And let me guess,"_ Leia rolled her eyes irritably; _"they all open their hearts and become gentlemen?"_

 _"_ _You'd be surprised. Many are courageous, thoughtful and even a little bit sensitive… when you get to know them long."_

 _"_ _Thanks,"_ Leia replied as she brushed away her hand, _"but I have no intention of spending any longer than I have to with Solo. He has all the breeding of a Bantha and just as much jock."_

 _"_ _Ouch,"_ Ahsoka replied in mock horror, _"probably best that you don't tell him that."_

 _"_ _I honestly could care less what he has to think about it."_

 _"_ _I wouldn't say that if I was you."_

 _"_ _Oh really? Why shouldn't I?"_

 _"_ _Let's just say I know, from a great deal of embarrassing circumstances—"_

 _"_ _Do tell."_

 _"_ _Not today. Scratch that, not ever."_

 _"_ _Well, continue then."_

 _"_ _You may end up stuck with him for a while. And who knows, he may warm up to you. Or perhaps the otherway around."_

 _"_ _Hey!"_ she glowered at her spitfully, but found it utterly repulsed by Ahsoka's unbreakable smugness. Simply put, nothing could ever put her down.

And she knew this all too well.

* * *

The storm had arrived out of nowhere. It hit him worse than a sandstorm on Tatooine, punching him hard in the chest and hurling him high in the air before it slammed him back into the ground. Then it softened just enough to allow him to regain his bearings, painfully. He fought for air through harsh coughing as his face became battered by the fierce wind. Then he felt it.

It was coming again. Determined to finish him off.

 _"_ _Not today."_

Quickly he threw together his hands in a gesture of power and formed a shield of energy around him that buckled and rend as the ferocious wind smashed into it with the wail of screaming Night Banshees. He felt his strength taxed and strained as the power of the storm intensified, determined to swipe this insignificant mass from its hypothermic landscape. But he did not give in. He gritted his teeth and fought back the whirlwind until he threw back his arms in an explosive gesture; releasing a final burst of energy the fragmented outward like a grenade that overwhelmed the power the storm and threw it back with a howl of tormented fatigue.

* * *

Ahsoka had felt it: A sudden eruption of power that rippled in the Force caused by a flare of utter pain.

 _"_ _Luke!"_

 _"_ _Ahsoka, is something the matter?"_ Leia asked her with complete concern forming in her face. Yet when the Trogrutan turned towards her, she recoiled. The terror that formed on her face was the same one she had had when Alderaan had been destroyed. Then she took off in a frenzied run down the hall, back towards the hangar. Night was not far behind.

* * *

 _"_ _My son—gahh!"_

The Dark Lord recoiled in pain, feeling the spot where the saber blade had struck him on the shoulder, burning a seam in the plas-steel and singing the exposed skin underneath. He stared in utter bewilderment at the wound, shocked not at the damage done to him but the sudden disruption in the Force. It had been his son, and it had been powerful.

 _"_ _My Master, I—"_

 _"_ _It is only a wound, Merek,"_ Vader interrupted, regaining his self-control as he turned his helm back to the Assassin. They had been sparring for several minutes in a concentrated bliss of continuous motion. Vader had been testing his prime student, and he had not disappointed. The two had stood across the room from each other, their blades ignited and readied in a standoff. Merek broke the overbearing silence first: charging in with a near overwhelming flurry of Juyo that created swaths of red aimed for Vader's limb so fast they appeared like literal waves of energy.

Vader's honed skill in Djem-So prepared him however. He stood like a stone to a gale and countered each the incoming blows with practiced precision. Then he blocked an incoming chop aimed for his head with an upward guard followed by a downward strike that put Starkiller unto the defensive. Vader continued his attack, marching slowly in a paced line as he struck Merek again and again with powerful overhead and sideswiping cleaves; concentrating his augmented strength into each blow. This forced Merek to concentrate his efforts into his Soresu, the conservative defensive posture, and thus preventing him from quickly sliding back into Juyo and carrying on an offensive.

Merek's displays were well practiced; using only the minimalist amount of energy with each block in tight movements, but they were not as proficient or as powerful as his aggressive and preferred Juyo. As the foray of battle continued to drag on and with Vader still carrying the initiative, Marek knew that he could not contend with his master's superior cybernetic and Force augmented strength. He decided to create some breathing space for himself and then reengage: first blocking a blow meant for his leg and then throwing forth a powerful Force Push that hit Vader in the chest. Vader had been waiting for the blow and had mentally prepared himself so much that the blow had only knocked him back a few steps. Yet when he looked up he saw Merek was on the move again, somersaulting backwards over a rail guard and landing with his feet going immediately into a defensive posture.

Vader's next move was instinctual; tossing his blade at the Assassin like a boomerang and colliding with Starkillers briefly raised blade so tremendously that it knocked him to the ground. The Dark Lord then hurled himself into the air in an upward glide, pulling his saber to hand and slamming into the ground where Merek had only been a mere moment earlier. Starkiller had rolled to his side and come up with his blade up and swinging. He attacked wildly with his energetic Juyo, combing speed and ferocity into formulation that forced Darth Vader into a slow, gradual retreat. With each step back, Vader would block at least three slashes and cleaves to his right before shifting to his left to do the same again.

As he retreated, he allowed his mind to wander about the platform to find some form of advantage to use against the ceaseless Merek. Then he found it: a piece of the walkway that hadn't been bolted down properly barely six paces behind him. He continued his defense, but began using the Force to begin prying the deck piece just slowly enough to where his apprentice wouldn't notice. Then, as the deck piece was in position, he counter struck Merek with a quick jab that prompted Merek just a step back; allowing Vader to step behind his intended weapon. Merek then charged in again, this time to have his legs thrown under him as the deck piece was slammed into the knees with a sudden _clang!_

Merek felt the jolt of pain spike throughout his midsection but knew that he had to keep moving or else Vader would strike him down. Before Vader could do just that, Merek followed the downward motion with a forward roll that took him right off the platform and back onto the bottom floor. He then spun and unleashed a powerful Force attack that smashed the platform to bits. But Vader wasn't there. He turned and saw him coming right at him again from his right.

Yet Vader's mind wasn't on the battlefield. As he charged in, something had caught and held his attention to the point of wavering. Something familiar… then he felt it: both the disturbance and his students counter attack. Now he stood with his back turned to his apprentice, his staring into nothing but his mind relieving the moments of a nightmare. The one that would always haunt him, no matter how far into the darkness he fell would always be with him to remind him of what he had done and what had been taken from him in response.

 _"_ _It was him, wasn't it Master?"_ Starkiller's mechanical voice echoed in the confined room, _"It was Skywalker."_

 _"_ _Yes… he has indeed become powerful. Just like his… father."_

Galen Merek simply nodded. He didn't need to ask for he knew already. He was one of few who were trusted to know the truth, or to be included in his true plan. Merek knew that for years, ever since the destruction of the Death Star, the Emperor had been planning to replace Vader, his true master. That he had seen him a mere shadow of the man he had once been: a blunt instrument to be wielded, not to wield.

It was therefor obvious what his next course would be. It had started with himself, and had grown to others that lay hidden in the shadows. A cabal loyal to Vader alone who planned to strike when the time was right. All that was needed now were the Jedi. Both of whose connection to the man behind the mask was as considerable as it was dangerous.

But only time would tell what would come of it.

* * *

She had protested, but Han had insisted.

 _"_ _If we get lost out there, that'll be three gone, and one Jedi. I'll find him, I owe that kid."_

 _"_ _Sir, your Tauntaun will freeze before it even reaches the first marker!"_

 _"_ _Then I guess I'll see you in Hell! Yeaaghh!"_

Now she sat meditating in the darkness, her tips pursed together tightly, her eyes shut in heavy concentrated will as her mind wondered into the void; searching, looking for anything that might find him. Yet within the shroud that followed her had tracked her here as well. It had surrounded her and blinded her, causing her fumble in the aether. It whispered indiscernible thoughts, uncomprehendible but seductive in their foul tongue. Then as she saw at briefest of moments a light that pierced the veil and allowed her to escape.

Yet as she moved through, she felt a presence. A presence she had not felt since the War's end. Since Corellia. She smiled, the familiarity of it bring something of a comfort to her troubled mind. But she brushed it aside, and allowed her psyche to explore the world around her.

The first thing that hit her was the cold. She had felt cold, but nothing like this. Her body shivered profusely from the contact as wind and gale whipped from all sides in constantly moving pattern. She mentally pulled herself back, gaining some control over the projection. As she did this, sound and sight came to be, though one was utterly muted by the wind and the other blinded by the storm.

But she pushed through; she had to find Luke and fast. She went higher up in the land, trying to get better view of the land about but it became further and further blinded by screaming white. Then she spotted Han below, riding across the plain on the furred reptilian, doing the same as her. Searching.

 _"_ _Han."_ she called out through the Force into his mind. Han felt the presence in his brain, delicate in its approach as it settled about. Normally, he would've been angered by the sudden intrusion, but the circumstances demanded it. In his thoughts, like in the bowl of Rhen Var echo chamber, Han answered back:

 _"_ _Ahsoka? Is that you?"_

 _"_ _Yes,"_ she responded, her voice faint as though she was speaking through a glass pane, _"_ _I'm shifting through the Force… trying to find Luke's presence here but… so much snow… blinding."_

 _"_ _You tell me, sister. I don't know if I can find him in this."_

 _"_ _Keep searching… I will look further ahead… come to you if I find something."_

 _"_ _Right."_

Then, as she departed his mind and entered the blizzard, something miraculous happened. Within the Force, she felt and saw a glow aura; blue and shimmering in its majesty. It was moving through the land, oblivious and evaporating through the writhing whiteout. Ahsoka's own presence followed in its wake, and just before she could come upon it; it disappeared. Then she saw him, directly ahead with his body buried in the snow.

 _"_ _Luke!"_ Ahsoka called in alarm, and without a moment's notice she entered his mind.

 _"_ _Ahsoka?"_ Luke responded weakly, trying to raise his head in the snow but feel almost all of his strength being sapped from his tired bones. Within, she soothed him softly.

 _"_ _Don't move… Han close… guide him to you. Stay strong, I will be back for you."_

 _"_ _Master…"_ he whispered softly as he felt her psychic entity departing. Then he felt something else: a light within the darkness.

 _"_ _Luke… Luke!"_

 _"_ _Ben?"_

Before him materialized the spirit of Obi Wan Kenobi, mannered the same as he was upon the moment of death aboard the Death Star. He hadn't changed; the old, battered frame standing tall before the whirlwind, his face softly and fatherly, kind and wise before the young Skywalker. Luke mustered the strength to crawl forward, raising his body above the outline of the snow. Ben smiled softly, before echoing out his message:

 _"_ _You will go to the Degobah system, Luke. There you will learn from the one who taught me, Master Yoda."_

 _"_ _Degobah System?"_ Luke asked weakly.

 _"_ _Ahsoka has taught you much, but only through the teachings of Yoda will you become a Jedi."  
"Ben!" _Luke called out to him desperately, raising his hand as though to try and pull him closer. But Obi Wan was gone. Then he spotted Han riding him from the storm calling out to him. He called out one more time, then all of his strength left him and he slumped back into the snow.


	4. Discovery

Chapter Three: Discovery

* * *

During the Clone Wars, Ahsoka had learned what fear was. She'd learned then in turn that it had two distinct derivatives. On the battlefield, she had experienced the more common of the two: the Instinctual Fear. Fear of danger and death. A warrior's fear.

This aspect comes naturally to all living beings, and over time one learns how to control it. Harness it. To eventually grow so comfortable with it that one barely registers it as fear. In times of despair, it could grow into a panic, but she'd learned long ago never to give into despair. But in time, she'd stumbled upon the second derivative: the one no amount of training, preparation or understanding can atone for.

It went by many different names. The most common was the Personal Fear, others the Familial or even the Helplessness. But long ago on the slave world of Zygerria, when her master, Rex and herself had been on assignment there, she'd learned its true name. They'd called it _Phobus_. This was true fear: a helpless, plaguing sensation that grows deep within until it reaches the very soul.

This kind of fear comes when those close to oneself are placed in mortal danger and peril, when the parent moves with all might to save their child, only to know of how hopeless the effort is. That they would never be able to reach them in time. Wouldn't be there to protect them, to save them. In this very moment, she, like everybody else standing in the room, felt the Phobus grow within their souls as they watched the fourth of their company toil between the thread of life and death within the bacta tank. Luke Skywalker, her apprentice, son of the man she'd loved as an elder brother, was barely holding onto that thread.

When Han had found him in the cold, Luke's core temperature had dropped so low that he'd have died within minutes. Then the situation had worsened when his Tauntaun froze in the cold. Using his friend's lightsaber, he'd open the guts of the beast and shoved Luke inside its warm, if disgusting, cofounds. However, they'd been forced to survive the night until morning. When Wedge Antilles, under Ahsoka's psychic guidance, found them Luke was still in very critical conditions.

Hours later, he'd been placed the nutrient healing waters of the bacta tank. But his body was not responding it. When Ahsoka reached into the Force, she saw how weak he was becoming. She looked to her left, and there she found Han, Leia and Chewbacca all look upon him with the same grave expression as her. She and Han exchanged the look with each other, feeling the hopelessness weight crushing everyone in the room.

Then Chewie, in the very much Wookie way, came about and embraced her warmly in his massive furry arms. She felt better with this comfort, but it was nothing more than a temporary obstacle to the Phobus. Then in a moment that fear was dashed aside when the medical droid injected a fresh batch of the bacta into the tank and within the Force she'd felt Luke revive. Perhaps it'd been the expression of hope upon her face, but everyone's gaze in that room shifted to the Trogrutan. Then the droid answered why:

 _"_ _Commander Skywalker is responding to the Bacta! He is out of danger! I say again he is out of danger!"_

Though she'd known seconds before, she couldn't resist dashing forward as euphoria flowed within her soul and placing her hand firmly upon the glass as though she was to grab the young Skywalker and pull him close to her. What happened next was unexpected. Luke's extensive injuries should have kept him unconscious, as should have the medications flowing through him. Yet somehow his eyes opened and without him knowing it his hand thrust forward to meet hers, with the glass separating the two. Their eyes met and they smiled warmly, granted Luke's was buried beneath the respirator clasped to his face.

He was going to live… for now.

* * *

 _"_ _You honestly don't look all that bad kid,"_ Han smiled, _"_ _Heck, you look strong enough to pull the arms off a Gundar."_

Luke chuckled:

 _"_ _Thanks to you."_

 _"_ _Hey don't look at me,"_ Han replied with a shrug, _"_ _she's the one who'd found you in the first place. I'm just the one who stuck you in the Tauntaun."_

Now it was her turn to laugh:

 _"_ _Yes, what an incredible smell you discovered!"_

 _"_ _Hey I thought they smelled bad on the outside!"_

The room exploded in laughter. After the tensions of the last few hours, it was a good release.

 _"_ _Hurrahna!"_ Chewbacca bellowed. Luke looked at him curiously:

" _What'd he say?"_

 _"_ _He said,"_ Ahsoka answered, _"_ _it was probably a good thing you were out of it at the time. Otherwise the smell would've killed you!"_

More laughter followed. Then the door to the med-room hissed open and Leia Organna popped her head through:

 _"_ _Am I missing something?"_

 _"_ _Oh nothing at all, your worshipfulness,"_ Han grinned slyly at her, which earned him an icy glare, _"_ _just some humor that you'd probably never approve of, oh you're royal highness."_

She glared him coldly. Ahsoka and Luke both had to resist laughing some more at the jest. Leia stepped into the room, trying desperately to keep her composure. But Han just kept adding more fuel to the growing fire:

 _"_ _So I see you've found ways to keep me here. Miss me already?"_

 _"_ _I had nothing to do with that,"_ Leia retorted matter-of-fact like, which was a clear sigh she was growing annoyed, _"_ _General Rieekan insisted on grounding all flights out until we've activated the shield generator."_

 _"_ _Nah,"_ Han immediately responded sarcastically, _"_ _you just want to keep me here,"_ he then turned to Luke and his grin grew wider, _"_ _I think she's growing to appreciate my company. Showing her true feelings for me if you will."_

Luke couldn't help but chuckling slightly at that. Whether it was at Han, Leia's _say one more and I'll murder you_ expression or the rather mischievous look on Ahsoka, or perhaps even all three even he himself wasn't sure.

 _"_ _Why you… scruffy looking… nerf herder!"_ Leia growled. Playfully, Han turned, mock horror written on his face:

 _"_ _Who's scruffy looking?"_

Chewbacca only made the situation all the more worse chuckling mirthfully. However, Han knew it was directed at him, not what he'd said. He glared at his enormous furred friend:

 _"_ _Laugh it up fuzzball."_

 _"_ _Hur Harr!"_

 _"_ _Oh I will,"_ Ahsoka whispered to Luke which earned him a slight grin. In response Han spun on his heel and scowled at the Trogrutan:

 _"_ _Everybody around here's turning on me! Do I have to pay you all to get some form of loyalty out of you all?"_

 _"_ _Well you're the scoundrel with a heart of gold,"_ Ahsoka smirked, _"_ _you tell me."_

 _"_ _Heart of gold? Heart of gold!? Sister, if my heart had that much worth I wouldn't have to keep repairing the Falcon."_

 _"_ _Sounds about right,"_ Leia swore under her breath, but not quietly enough for Han not to hear.

 _"_ _And what's that supposed to mean?"_ Han exclaimed as he whirled about to face a smirking Leia with a wrathful glint in her stern gazing eyes.

 _"_ _You're a half witted lazer brained fool with no sense of honor or courteousness to women. I hope that junk you call a ship blows up in your face and I'm there to see it."_

Undaunted, Han cocked his traditional lady killer smile:

 _"_ _Well I must've hit close to the mark if you're all riled up like that."_

Nobody really expected what happened, but everybody in the room would've agreed it wasn't surprising at all. Before another breath could be taken, Leia slapped Han across the face with such furious force that the _fwap_ it resonated echoed heavily in the cramped med bay. Then without a second word, she stormed out of room with her fists balled to her sides. Massaging his face, Han remarked:

 _"_ _Well I guess I had that coming."_

 _"_ _Go to her, Han,"_ Ahsoka ordered, gazing at him with eyes set with a motherly manner, _"_ _go to her before she does something foolish."_

He looked at her for a long moment before he finally nodded and took off out of the room.

 _"_ _Hurrhh?"_

 _"_ _Probably best if you go after him, Chewie,"_ Luke answered. Without another word, Luke and Ahsoka were left alone at long last. The two sat motionless, a thousand thoughts that weighed heavily on their minds regarding the other taking away all their focus and turning it inward. However, it created an almost unbearable atmosphere of which felt like an overbearing stone that threatened to crush everything underneath its long drooped shadow. Finally, Ahsoka rose from her seat, her hands clasped behind her back as she solemnly stood erect to the spot like a worn statue.

Her face was set in stone, hiding her fear and her pain from leaking into the Force around. In her mind, a single question raged a thunderous roar as it was tossed from one side to another.

 _Do I tell him? How do I tell him?_

 _"_ _Master,"_ Luke threw the covers from the med-bed and rose slowly, pain hitting him almost immediately as a thousand muscles ached from the effort, _"_ _Master, are you alright?"_

She turned slowly, a small saddened smile forming across her beautiful face as she gestured Luke to sit. But Luke did not. He'd seen that smile before. And it set off alarm bells in his head. So she took him by the shoulders and brought them both onto the bed.

However, this did not do anything to set Luke's anxiety steady.

 _"_ _Luke, how many times have I told you not to call me that?"_

 _"_ _Sorry, old habit,"_ Luke replied chuckling as his head drooped embarrassingly, _"_ _but I know something's wrong with you. You feel… terrified."_

 _"_ _That's because I am, Luke. I almost lost you out there. I felt you throttled between life and death in the bacta tank and I…"_

She let the sentence droop off. She couldn't bear to face him anymore, turning her gaze away as she solemnly closed her eyes. Then she felt his hand caress her face softly, bring her worried eyes back to his. And in those deep blue's she found the spark of hope she'd long sense never seen before. His voice further echoed this hope in an extension that warmed her troubled heart:

 _"_ _C'mon, considering the number of times we've gotten ourselves into trouble, a little life and death shouldn't matter_ _ **that**_ _much."_

 _"_ _Like that time on Mygetto?"_ She chuckled softly.

 _"_ _You mean when we fell into that nest of skyworms and I had to save you?"_

 _"_ _Save me? Save me? Oh no my young student. If I remember correctly it was_ _ **me**_ _who had to pull you from that cluster pipe. So many crawled through your flight suit you wouldn't stop itching."_

 _"_ _So did you!"_ he laughed, _"_ _And I'm not the one who swallowed one… or was it three?"_

 _"_ _You've got to give me credit. Those things were surprisingly tasty."_

 _"_ _Can't be any worse than Sand People."_

 _"_ _You can't be serious."_

 _"_ _Oh yes. Times were hard and once or twice me and Biggs had to bag one and—"_

 _"_ _Oh stop it, you!"_ Ahsoka chuckled as she slugged him softly in the arm. He recoiled and massaged the spot:

 _"_ _Ow!"_

 _"_ _Oh don't be such a baby, junior."_

 _"_ _You know I hate that."_

 _"_ _I know,"_ she smiled deeply. It happened without thought, without notice or even a remote understanding of why it did happen in the first place. The two became caught in the others gaze, their eyes locking and becoming lost in the endless swirls of the other as they inched closer and closer towards the other. So close that their noses touched. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came.

Then in the manner of a moment, the two kissed. They delved deeply into each other, Luke's hand traced up the small of her back and onto the back of her neck, then the other wrapping around her middle. Out of some instinctually command, Ahsoka's head tendrils rose softly over his chest and wrapped themselves about the younger man's body. Time burred entirely to the lack of concept, the bleak reality evaporated to mere background indiscernible to them. Together, their passion was all that mattered and it fueled the swirling emotion that passed between them, resonating warmly in the Force that bonded them.

Then at long last their lips broke apart with the exhaust of warm, strained breath. Luke sighed longingly, Ahsoka bit her lip softly and their eyes once more locked together. This time it was Luke who broke the connection, once more embarrassingly drooping his face.

 _"_ _I'm sorry Ahsoka I—"_

He couldn't finish the sentence. His mind raced. On one side, his embarrassment felt sour. She was his master, his father's apprentice. Heck, she was almost twice his own age! Yet deep inside another part of him, a more emotional one, told him that none of it mattered.

Then he felt her hand softly touch his cheek bring him back to face her, and in his mind he'd never seen her more beautiful. She radiated to the young man and in his heart he longed for her. Her sanguine smile stretched about as she whispered softly:

 _"_ _Don't be."_

She herself felt the same confliction as her padawan, her apprentice she told herself. He was the son of Anakin, Sky-guy her nickname for him. She felt an overwhelming level of guilt rush inside. She knew her teachings, the very same ones she was trying impart on Luke. Jedi were not supposed to love.

But how could that be? She found herself questioning that very philosophy. Their strength as Jedi came from their compassion, their love for all life. So how could this feel… wrong?

 _That is not what's bothering you, snips,_ she felt her mind scowled softly, _you haven't told him. And now you never can. How could he ever forgive you now? He'll end up just like his father—_

 _"_ _Stop,"_ she whispered softly.

 _"_ _Stop what?"_

Her eyes opened suddenly. She hadn't realized they'd been closed in the first place. She felt as though she'd awoken from a trance that had reined control over her soul.

 _"_ _I'm okay, Luke."_

No he wouldn't end up like his father. Not if she could help it. Then the memory came, the voice, the anguished cry that turned dark in its malice:

 _Ahoska? Why did you leave? Do you know… what I have become?_

She wouldn't abandon him. Not like she had his father. His fall to darkness **had** been her fault, she knew this. She hadn't been there when he'd needed her the most. And because of that the man had been replaced by the monster.

Luke would not become that. She would rather die than let that happen.

 _"_ _Luke I…"_

 _"_ _Mistress Tano!"_

It was 3PO. Against the door the golden protocol droid stood, reflecting the light off of his metal skin. She smiled. Once again, he proved his skill at appearing at the wrong moment or in this case the right one.

 _"_ _What is it 3PO?"_

 _"_ _There is an urgent matter up on the command center. General Rieekan orders your presence."_

* * *

The Probe had been hunting. Surviving its sub-sonic impact into the arctic surface, its primary protocols took over. It floated over the land like a reaper in a grave yard searching for signs of activity. Any activity that might suggest a Rebel base. After being flurried by nightly blizzard, it'd found what it'd been looking for.

In a valley flanked by cliffs and steeps of snow and ice was a multi-prong shield generator. Military class designed to shield a ten-by-ten square mile area against any form of orbital bombardment. Its optical sensors processed the information before it and ran a calculated percentage of probability. Its computers found the information based on its mission parameters and previous catalogued information on previous Rebel bases to be at 84%. High enough then to relay the information back to its masters.

It would take precious hours, maybe even days to reach an Imperial processor and then relayed to some form of command. It would continue its mission and continue to scan the area for any other signs of Rebel activity. However, this discovery set its defense protocols to alert, preparing offensive capabilities should hostile forces be discovered. Exactly four hours later it did. It had detected organic material of humanoid origin close by and it moved to investigate.

A creature appeared from the snow and it moved to engage. It fired it's on board blaster at the creature, causing it to take cover. Then its hull took a hit from a blaster shot. It whirled about and detected a human with a registered DL-44 Hand Blaster. It fired back at its attacker, but its protocol dictated 23% chance of survival or continued mission.

So it enacted its safe guard and self destructed, setting off an internal explosive charge that blew the probe apart in a brilliant explosion that left it a smoking wreck. Over the charred snow turned black by the fuselage of internal oils and fused metal, Han Solo peered at the droids remains. Over the wreckage he frowned disappointedly.

 _"_ _Captain Solo to Echo Base."_

Back at the command center, everyone huddled around comm. Terminal that poured over the database at what they had just seen. The octopus like droid wasn't of Alliance make, and everyone hoped it wasn't what they all knew it likely to be.

 _"_ _Han didn't hit it that hard,"_ Ahsoka commented, _"_ _That thing must've had a self destruct."_

Then the image came up and it cross checked with what they all feared.

 _"_ _An Imperial Probe Droid,"_ Leia answered.

 _"_ _Good chance the Empire knows we're here,"_ Hand replied somberly.

 _"_ _The nearest Imperial Fleet is in Onderon System,"_ Ahsoka mused hopefully, _"_ _this far out, it'll give us maybe two days at the most before they receive this and come knocking."_

General Rieekan nodded.

 _"_ _We'd best start the evacuation."_

* * *

The barracks was alive with activity. While most of the base was beginning the process of packing up and getting the transports ready to bug out, the security detail assigned to the base was gearing up for the tough fight ahead. Sergeant Cal Maxim starred long and hard into the cracked mirror of his equipment locker, his eyes ranging about the worn and scarred face that beheld him. He rubbed his hand through the rough beard he'd allowed to grow for over three months to give him some form of warmth during the long patrols around the frigid landscape. It was almost unrecognizable from the young man he'd been three years prior, back when he'd been a Stormtrooper of the infamous 501st Legion, better known as Vader's Fist.

Back when he'd been on the winning side, but ultimately the wrong one no matter what way you looked at it.

 _"_ _Cal, quit yer grinning and get your gear stored!"_ Captain Barker, his technical boss, shouted from across the room, _"_ _I want you in the hangar by ten, ya hear?"_

He nodded solemnly in his general direction and reached into the locker for his uniform. Cal was SpecForce, the Alliances expendable troops for the jobs too dirty or too impossible for the common soldier. But he was part of a more selective breed of the suicidal explicit. He was a Commando: scouts, pathfinders, saboteurs and general pain-in-the-ass for imperial commanders on the far reaches of the Outer Rim. In normal situations, he knew, they would be air dropped behind enemy lines on hot arid backwaters housing Imperial R&D or soon-to-be converted industrials constructing Star Destroyers, all with minimal equipment and the general objective of either stealing or blowing something up.

Right now, he would've preferred that particular assignment compared to what was coming. He shook his head, and began to don his gear. First were his tight black thermals, something he'd held onto when he was deployed with the Five-Oh-First on worlds like this one. This was followed by his standard issue white winter coveralls, along with a pair of black insolated boots. Then at last he reached for his battle armor.

The armor itself was a collection of various other armor types modified for general use. As such, it had something of rough look, but it was sturdy and running his finger over the dozen or so blaster marks that ran the length of it, Cal knew well its worth. It was the same one he'd been wearing for over two years now: two overlapping chestplates along with shinguards and forearms, plus a helmet. He remember the times he'd changed its color: a tan camo scheme when they'd been dropped on Ryloth to meet up with guerillas planning an uprising, gray for Sollust to hijack an under-repair Indicator class cruiser, and the nightmarish time on Felucia to recover the crew of a Blockade Runner. He closed his eyes darkly at the time there; there were things there none of them would ever talk about, so much he wished that the place would be firebombed into char from orbit.

Reality hit, as did the time and he began attaching the armor to his coveralls. Four months earlier he'd spray-painted it white to match the snow. But there was a tradition among the Commandoes no matter where they were dropped. They always kept the frayed, Navy Blue stripw down the center of the helmet and the chest plate. It was their way of honoring the man who'd trained them, and up until six months prior led them into battle.

That man was Commander Rex. For Cal, meeting the man was something truly inspiring. Cal wasn't a Clone; he was among the select few who joined the Five-Oh-First as regular humans and to do that Cal had to be the best of the damned good best. Arriving and serving for three years, he'd grown with the stories of the famed Captain Rex; their former commander during the Clone Wars. Brave, resourceful, compassionate… and also a traitor to the Empire.

He laughed lightly.

 _"_ _So am I, I guess."_

To come under command by the very man who'd commanded the Five-Oh-First, it became a sense of pride to wear the same colors as him and all the others like him. At last, he donned the helmet. It was a rather odd design and was the newest piece of gear in his arsenal. It was based off the old Alderaan design but with a shortened neck guard, comm. unit with antennae on the left side, a magnified range-finder on the right and a built in face helm. The helm was a largely an armored O2 regulator with interchangeable goggles depending on the assignment.

It was experimental, something that command wanted tested in a number of environments. So who better to give it to then Rex's Commandoes? In their prolonged stay, Cal had applied his training in sub-arctic environments in designing modifications for their armor respectively. Fabric face hoods that ringed the helmet as well as a kama attached to their gunbelts became the standard for their winter equipment. Many of the older veterans grumbled it made them look too similar to the Imperial Snow Troopers, but none could dispute its usefulness.

His helmet readings came up, display a constantly updating HUD that while was somewhat hazy had the all too clear distinction to the ones issued to Shock Troopers. He always wondered how many suicidal fools had died getting their hands on that particular tech but he shrugged it off.

 _"_ _A question for another time never to be answered."_

Now he applied his web belt which included most of his survival gear stored in a back compartment, which was followed by his weapons. Thermal Detonators, Smoke Bombs and Imploders went on varying spots on his left side. On his right was a solid seven inch combat knife he'd only ever had to use four times in the past. All of them slitting some unsuspecting bastard's throat. On his hip went his (illegally) modified full-auto DH-17 blaster pistol.

The weapon now was horribly inaccurate beyond a scant 50 meters, but its high rate of fire made it a wonder in the often close quarter's cluster-frags he'd find himself in. Last, he removed the sole reminder of his previous life: his E-11 Blaster Rifle. It was the very same one he'd received after the Academy, the same one he'd wielded against the Rebels on the Tantive IV and in other countless operations before defecting. He swung it over his shoulder and made his way to the door. When he stepped out of the barracks, he found the rest of A-Group waiting for him:

 _"_ _There he is,"_ Corporal Ree Zian called when he came into view, _"_ _thought we were gonna have to leave without you!"_

 _"_ _Wouldn't dream of it."_

The rest of the five man squad was there, all with different reason for being here on this desolate planet out in the middle of nowhere fighting against an opponent who he knew from personal experience to having all the advantages in the coming engagement. To the far left was Zian, former enemy now his closest ally. She was a red Twi'lek, with all the usual baggage that came with that this day and age in the Empire, especially she came from Hutt space. In the beginning when he'd joined the Commandoes, their relationship had been incredibly icy considering his prior allegiances. It had come to a head one cold night a year and a half ago when she'd tried to kill him in his sleep.

He still had the tiny scar on the side of his neck from that night. She'd come close, but in the end hadn't been able to make her mark. Things got stranger from that moment forward. He understood her need for vengeance, so the following night when she came again he didn't resist as she put the blade to his throat. However, something change within her, something dark and foreboding boil deep within her psyche came to light and for the first time was disposed. They'd shared a bed that night.

Years later and after many battles across three worlds, their relationship mellowed. She was someone he could call friend, but there were times when her bloodlust showed and he knew to keep his distance. She was the team's sharpshooter, which showed with the DLT-19x long barrel Precision Rifle cradled in her arms. It was something of a personal trophy collected from the campaign on Ryloth; an enemy sniper who'd killed one of their own and stalked them for days. Zian took his weapon after she'd jammed a knife through the side of his head, and now used to lethal perfection.

Next to her were Specialists Dare and Marne Maktaversh, twin brothers. Short vulgar Dare with bloody ready hair and a long drooping handlebar mustache and tall jolly yellow haired Marne with a face that could swoon almost any woman. The pair had grown up alone save for each other on a cold backwater constantly privy to bloody clan wars and the meddling fingers of the Empire. When intervention led to occupation, the pair waged a two-man war against them; become masters of explosives in the process, which also explained the missing fingers on both of their hands. It was during this bloody time that eventually came into contact with Commander Rex, allowing them the chance to take their fueling fires elsewhere to burn.

While they made a good team, they were almost nothing alike. Dare was hot-tempered, constantly getting into brawls with just about everybody and often over his disputed height. Marne on the otherhand could smooth talk his way out of anywhere, and always kept his cool under many situations. Marne was the light in most arguments, Dare was the heat. However, get any sort of liquor into them and they would seduce anybody with the feminine fashion, get into fight fights with their men, drink some more and then probably blow something else up before calling it a night.

This was best shone by the sheer number of explosives strapped to their chests as well as the portable anti-tank missiles slung over their shoulders.

 _"_ _Wha' Zian? Ya really think tha' Cal here'd miss out the chance ta kick the tossers outa his old buddies eh? Mebbe give his royal majesty Vader 'mself a nice toss ta the arse!"_

 _"_ _Don't speak ill of Lord Vader, Dare,"_ Cal replied grimly, _"_ _I've seen enough trachea's crushed to know never to try."_

Dare wiggled his mustache and smirked.

 _"_ _Ah ya try an' get that black leotard close ta me, eh? Why I'll give 'em the whole one-two and a proper kick ta the balls,"_ he imitated this by swinging at the air and then kicking out an imaginary figure, _"_ _Why I'd—"_

Before he continued, Marne slammed his fist down on Dare's helmeted head, causing him to drop to the floor.

 _"_ _And you will do no such thing, ya wanker of a younger brother,"_ Marne replied cheekily, grabbing Dare by the head and rubbing his fist through his curly hair, _"_ _ya might be a royal-pain-in-my-arse, but I still gotta keep ya safe!"_

 _"_ _Bullocks!"_ Dare growled as he smacked his brother's also helmeted head with the butt of A-280 rifle, _"_ _I was born a good two minutes 'fore you were!"_

 _"_ _Oh really, govn'r? Ya got proof of that ya pretentious dwarven prick?"_

 _"_ _Oh bugger off, ya bleed-heart. Why I'll get my silver and I'll cut you down to size!"_

The exchange went on for several seconds, with Zian and Cal laughing silently as they went along their antics. Joining them was the last member of their team: Lance-Corporal Davos Tyr. A Durosian of an extremely silent lot, he served as the team's medical operator, translator and occasionally interrogator. He served a long time with the Rebellion and had seen enough of war to make him silent as a tombstone, but also as hard as one. His understanding of medication had come from many years of bloody trial and error, as did his methods of subjective toxins and serums to babble out secrets from a number of Imperial Types. The worst for Cal had been on Sollust: they'd required the access codes to activate an Indicator.

He'd spent over an hour with the man, locked away in a room where only the man's muffled screams could be heard. Then he returned with the codes, his black orb-like eyes hard as stone as he marched out. Cal and Zian had chanced a peek and came back revolted. The man's skin was pale as ice, yellow foam spewing out of his mouth as his eyes were swollen purple, almost bursting from their sockets like over ripe grapes ready to be plucked from a tree. They had every reason to fear him as they did to respect him for saving their lives through bandages or just talking their way out of a sticky mess with some backwater ingrates wanting to skin them.

 _"_ _Maktaversh! Quit your fooling or will ram my boot up both of your spleens!"_

All of them suddenly went to attention like engraved statues at an Imperial Governors Palace. Stepped in the six member and their commander after Rex had departed: Captain Mak Barker. Barker was a hard looking man, going on his fiftieth year, with a crinkled old face marked with dozens of little scars along the sides of his cheeks. Barker had been a volunteer tank driver during the Clone Wars, and had had his face shredded when a Spider Droid used his Grav-Tank for target practice. Proud as hell and a man with a fiery temper, Barker had served for several years in the Empire until he had switched sides during some unnamed battle a decade ago and had taken his walker along with him.

Despite his extreme temperament, Barker was long loyal to the Old Republic. He'd served her proudly during her final years, and it had made him all the more rageful to see her fall to the Empire. Now he served to see her reborn. He was a hard man, Cal admitted, yet deep down inside he was idealist through and through. So what did that make him?

In truth, he didn't see a damn difference between the Republic and the Empire. It was all history to him, one very blurred history that he honestly couldn't care for. He hadn't joined the Imperial Academy out of patriotism. One day he was set to become a farmer, the next a Stormtrooper company came strolling through the land. In his mind, the young boy of thirteen saw what he wanted to do with his life.

Then came the day when he was sole survivor of his squad on a unnamed mountainous world full of monsters. They'd been hunting for a man. That man turned out to be Rex. Trapped together, Cal learned the true nature of things and decided then what the right course was. When the two escaped, Cal tagged along for the ride.

Years later, and countless battles to follow, he was here. He knew in a matter of days or less he'd being facing what he'd ironically would be among if fortunes had been different. Barker's commanding voice interrupted his internal stewing and returned him to the present:

 _"_ _You know I don't like long speeches, so I'm gonna keep this short. High Command expects an Imperial Armored Battalion to come strolling through here. They want us to dig in on the Flat Top and provide what every damn support we can give to the ground pounders."_

They all nodded.

 _"_ _Right, ya magnificent bastards, let's get this show on the road."_

They made their way towards the back hangar past hordes of soldiers, technicians, pilots and staff scurrying one way or the other to carry on the evacuation procedures. Many stared in awe at them, while other joked remarks about them holding the Empire by themselves. Dare remarked back about leaving some for them. Cal was silent. He knew exactly what was coming and it made him cold despite the thermal holding his heat in.

He did a final manual check of his equipment as they began the long march out into the cold wastes of a soon to be battlefield.


	5. Meditation

Chapter Four: Meditation

* * *

In the bowls of the Executor, within a private chamber hidden from sight and man, Galen Marek meditated. His eyes were closed with concentration. His mind shifted in the Force, focusing his will upon his routine task of disassembling his lightsaber. Piece by piece he pulled and levitated by air, separating them until at last the hilt was gone to expose the single red synthetic kyber crystal. It was his ritual, his constant exercise of control over his emotions. Here, he allowed himself to drift from his anger, from his passion, into an emotionless state to where his thoughts were clear and his own.

Yet, that was a state that he could only achieve before his defeat, before his humiliation, before his body had been rendered unrecognizable and now trapped within the perpetual iron lung meant to sustain him… by her. His memory flashed to that day, barely a year prior. He remembered everything about the mission. The distress call from an Imperial Prison Ship, the footage captured from the investigation, him discovering the true mastermind of the assault. He should have told him. Together, he and his master could have easily defeated her.

But he'd been a fool then, he knew. So desperate to make amends, to prove himself in his eyes, by bringing to him the bane of his existence. The sole reminder left of a time when he was weak. So he'd gone alone, without Vader, without even the other Inquisitors. They would've slowed him down he believed.

They were not loyal to Vader. Not loyal to the man who had trained them; had given them purpose. Out of all of them, he despised Mara Jade the most. The Emperor's lapdog and spy, she would turn on them both if ordered to, or if it would see her risen to a place right next to her true master. They had clashed before and had always ended indecisive.

Soon that would change. But then his mind pondered on another. The stranger one: the one who had control over beasts. He'd worked with him before and he did not trust him. He had no real loyalty save to himself. At least with Mara he knew where she stood with things.

She was predictable. He was not. Then came her mocking voice, the one he'd grown to hate:

 _"_ _You are nothing more than a monster, Starkiller. A beast tortured into existence by Vader. You lack the true drive of the Sith: the ambition… of which you lack in every possible way. You will always be Vader's pet."_

The voices did not stop. They roared through the cracks of his psyche like a hurricane, filling his mind with chaos. The dying words of his first kill, General Kota, rang through his ears:

 _"_ _Vader thinks he's turned you. But I sense your future. He won't always be your master. You will have to decide who you are. What you are."_

Then there was the other. The one that he'd tried to forget, but whom would always haunt him no matter how far he'd run:

 _"_ _You're still loyal to Vader even after he branded me a traitor and tried to kill you!"_

More came, indiscernible but echoed in constant waves of pain and guilt, anger and failure. He watched her fall, watched as her accusing, confused eyes closed for the last time. Watched as steel and mortar fell from the sky, as fire grew about, the heat prickling at his skin. Then he felt a presence, and as he raised his head, the landscape around him altered from inferno to a cold, dark cavern. And there, meditating not twenty paces from him was his target.

He'd followed her to the abandoned outpost of Polis Masa. As the memory played, he approached like a shadow, not even a whisper to that dry air to betray his move. Yet regardless of all of his skill, of all of his deception; she rose to her feet and before he knew she was standing before him, her cold eyes locked with his as she spoke:

 _"_ _I know your master, boy. I know him all too well. Just like I know you."_

It was then that he realized that she'd been waiting for him.

 _"_ _You know nothing about me,"_ he replied with all the calm he could muster as his hand went for his saber. But he did not ignite it. While his instinct was to take her now while she was unarmed, another part told him to wait, to hear her out. He realized it was his second mistake of the next few minutes.

 _"_ _But I do,"_ she began to circle him and he moved with the tradition, _"_ _you crave for his approval. You've murdered and tortured your way across the galaxy because by the end of things you want to be him. But you don't understand him like I do. You mean nothing to him. You're just a tool to be used until something better comes along and then he'll turn on you without a second thought."_

The saber was in his hand and he struck with all of his anger, all of his rage and it still wasn't enough. His form was ferocious, his swings and thrusts wild and unpredictable but she kept pace, leaping to and fro from wall to wall and pipe to pipe, her twin green sabers moving like a whirlwind. As he strove to defend against the blur of emerald death, he could feel her attack his mind. Like cold daggers digging into his brain, she extracted his worst memories. She brought them to life.

And they almost destroyed him.

 _"_ _All the rage in the galaxy cannot change what you have done. What you have allowed yourself to become."_

Cold, dead hands shot through the ground, grabbing him by his feet as his vision filled with his victims. As they dragged him further and further into the darkness; he could see them now, their eyes hot as a forge as they rend into the soul of their betrayer. Then he felt the great weights crashing down upon him. Felt the mountain of metal smash the near life out of him. Felt the cold grips of death rest upon his soul.

Sound and time blurred into near oblivion as he began to drift between nether and reality. Yet, it'd allowed just enough for him to hear her once more:

 _"_ _I am doing you a service. Vader would've betrayed you, like he did me. It is the way of the Sith."_

Then the vision shifted to a bleak darkness before he woke in a never ending nightmare of pain and metal. Watched helplessly as they transformed his broken body into something else, something not his own. More machine than man in every possible way. He felt his world spinning like a tornado as his psyche came crashing down. Then he heard the mechanical breathing and his eyes snapped open; breaking his focus as his saber collapsed to pieces onto the floor.

Hurriedly, he moved to retrieve the fallen remains of his lightsaber. But then he stopped. He sighed deeply, out of regret and bowed his head submissively. Silence crept into the room and held it by the throat for many agonizingly long seconds before; at last, Vader broke its monotony:

 _"_ _You are still troubled by your visions."_

 _"_ _Yes, my master. I… I am haunted by my… failure."_

 _"_ _Your failure?"_

At this, Starkiller raised his head to look upon the face of his master. Though eyes were separated by armored plas-glass, they locked with concentration.

 _"_ _The Apprentice drove me to near insanity. She reminded me of my past failures... I wasn't prepared for her."_

 _"_ _Not many are. I did not expect you to survive."_

This caught Galen's attention. With eyes set in shock and suspicion, he raised his head slightly, just a near nudge, something to a casual eye wouldn't be noticed. It was enough for the Lord of the Sith however.

 _"_ _I have trained you since you were a boy, Galen. I know your every move. Your every impulse. Your every thought."_

 _"_ _It was… a test then?"_

Vader contemplated his answer. He had no doubt about the boy's loyalty. He'd proven that years ago. He knew where his place was. However, he did not want to push him away.

If he did, then the assassin would become uncontrollable. He needed him at his side, ready to strike from the shadows when the time was right. Yet he did not want to show any form of weakness to him. It was after all the way of the Sith. Their way was of strength, and only strength.

 _"_ _No,"_ Vader finally answered, truthfully, _"_ _I knew what you were to attempt. I allowed you the opportunity."_

 _"_ _And yet I failed."_

 _"_ _Ahsoka Tano is a formidable Jedi, Galen. For over two decades she has eluded capture by the Empire time and time again. Even on Kamino she proved her worth."_

 _"_ _I remember."_

He did indeed. It had been almost six years ago. The Rebellion had launched an assault against the cloning facilities of Kamino. It had been a bloody battle, both in orbit as dozens of warships blasted each other to pieces, and on the platforms high above the roaring sea. Two Jedi had led the ground attack, and both Starkiller and Vader had moved to prevent the destruction of the prime cloning facility.

In the end, they'd been too late. The Rebels had destroyed the facility, which cost the Empire years of research and development. However, they were not too late to prevent the Jedi from escaping.

 _"_ _Ah, I see you survived the fall boy."_

It had truly surprised him seeing Rohm Kota alive and… well not truly well. His eyes still bore the scar that ran across them, blinding the Jedi General. For the second time, in as many years the two fought. It had been clear that Kota had been training. He was faster, sharper, more dangerous than he had been aboard that space station.

The General fought with the living Force, and Galen had been very nearly slain in their bloody encounter. Yet in the end it was no avail as the Sith assassin drew great torrents of lightning from the sky, casting them down upon the Jedi until at last the very life was burned out of him. There would be no return for him then. Then in the Force he felt the very same struggle within his master. Panic hit him as he recovered his lightsaber, and the Generals.

Yet, by the time he'd arrived the worst had come.

 _"_ _Even then, I had underestimated her."_

In the past, Vader had found Ahsoka a challenging opponent, yet she was in the end not a true match for him. On Malachor, she'd barely escaped their duel with her life. Not here though. She had fought him with great anger, fueled by the death of Rohm Kota. In their previous engagements, she'd tried to pull the man from the monster; to save him.

Here, she was trying to kill him.

 _"_ _When will it end, Anakin!?"_ She screamed as her twin white sabers came down upon with the rhythm and bass of the storm raging around, _"_ _All the people that I have murdered, all the innocents that have suffered, by letting you live."_

 _"_ _Then that is your failing. Not mine."_

 _"_ _I did fail you. But now I understand. Anakin is gone. You destroyed him. Now, I will destroy you."_

 _"_ _Come then, and destroy me—if you can."_

She had come close. He'd felt the mask impacted by the sabers, felt it break from his helm and fly off the platform. For the first time in a long time, he'd seen her with his own eyes. He could see now the very same rage that consumed him. The very same hate that now threatened to tip her into the darkness.

He had no doubt that it would have gone that way. Even when he'd destroyed her sabers, she struck back with the Force, tossing great energy pillars at him that nearly crippled his suit. It was only with the intervention of Starkiller that he hadn't been killed. On limps that spasmed from electric damage, he rose to face her. He'd practically ripped apart the platform, sending her bottling into the sea.

Soon after, the remnants of the Rebel fleet retreated. It had been a hollow victory. Vader knew as he did now that she'd survived the fall, just as she had the Temple on Malachor. She always survived. Like a recurring nightmare, she always returned; to remind once more of the failures of Anakin Skywalker.

Though he'd felt great remorse at every encounter, his purpose had always been clear. He would destroy her and her Rebellion, no matter the cost. Yet, that changed when Boba Fett had given him the name of the pilot who had destroyed the Death Star: Skywalker. His son. His only child.

He had no illusions about his value to the Emperor. But now he knew the truth, knew that for over two decades the Emperor had played him like a puppet. So in response, like his master before him, he began to build. In the span of three years, he constructed his own cabal who swore allegiance to the Empire… and to him. There was something missing though.

Something he knew he would need to destroy the Emperor. He knew what it was. It was his past. So he began his search for both the Apprentice of Skywalker, and the Son of Skywalker. In time he knew he would have both. When he did, with his loyal lieutenant by his side he would destroy the Rebellion. And when the Emperor relaxed from their glorious victory, he would do what he should have done decades ago.

 _"_ _It will be mine. It will all be mine."_

His mind then shifted back to the present, to the matter at hand as instinctually he began to levitate the disassembled pieces of his apprentice's lightsaber. It was in many ways similar to his own; more a blunt instrument than an elegant weapon of a more civilized era. It was robust and mechanical, dull and dark without embellished design or prideful displays. It was entirely function, devoid of true personality. It fit them quite well.

All around them the pieces floated in mid air as their combined mechanical respirator's reverberated with the dark echoes of supported air. Then at last, Vader began the long memorized process of reassembling the saber, hilt by power compressor to the very synthetic red shard that formed the power of the saber. As he did, the Dark Lord of the Sith broke the disturbing silence:

 _"_ _The pain that I feel within you, the rage and the angst, is not your weakness, Galen. It is your strength."_

With that last syllable, the saber returned to Vader's hand, who promptly returned it to his student's outreached hand.

 _"_ _With it, banish the specters who haunt. Let their memory fuel your anger, and unleash it when the time comes."_

He nodded solemnly and rose when he was beckoned. However, deep within the dark confounds of his very heart still rang of the Apprentice that haunted him with their painful truths.

 _"_ _The Sith always betray one another."_

Deep within he pondered darkly if she was right. Despite the anger he felt at being reminded of it, was he a tool to be used until he outlived his usefulness?

 _"_ _Everything that I have asked of you, you have done."_

Vader's words caught him off guard, every syllable slow and deliberate in their meaning. He did not speak for a long pause, enough to allow the tensions of the room to once more fill upon with dread. Then the sound of silence broke once more:

 _"_ _When I asked you to cut out the compassion growing within you like a cancer, you did. When I commanded that you give yourself, fully, to the Dark Side, you did so without hesitation. And when I tested your loyalty, you held firm. No, my Apprentice, you have not failed me."_

Starkiller's eyes brightened.

 _"_ _And even in your folly against the Apprentice, you refused to die. With your hate, with your anger, you lived. You showed once more your loyalty to me and me alone."_

He could not speak for he did not know the words to say. How could he? But in the end, he knew that he need only speak that which he knew would suffice:

 _"_ _What is thy bidding, my master?"_

* * *

The air was held in tight concentration with the vibrant tension building up with the cold atmosphere that many would have found utterly unbearable in the pitch darkness of the room. All save for Luke Skywalker. He sat in perfect meditation. The world around him blurred to a mute complex of lifelessness. He separated himself from the material, allowing him to turn inward.

There he searched within. There he pondered the world around, pondered his own existence. Then with one move, his hand went for his father's saber and with a flurry of a single blue flash struck behind in a guard, catching a pair of emerald sabers in mid flight. Yet before he could even contemplate his next move, he felt the rough leather of a boot strike upwards under the chin as his attacker backflipped into the darkness. He recovered quickly, his weapon held in both hands in a defense guard as he searched the darkness around him.

There was nothing around him. She'd turned off her sabers and now within the center of the room he felt completely exposed as the bright blue light illuminated the few feet around him. Then a slight, almost indistinguishable noise reported and he whirled around. No sooner than he had she came at him again. The twin sabers struck his upward guard and knocked him to the ground.

He flowed with the movement and came up in a roll, his blade ready for a counter attack. Yet she was not there. Once more, she'd disappeared into the darkness. He panted for breath as he looked about the room, move one step over the other with the upmost care as he shifted from position to position. Then she struck again from his left.

However instead of blocking her attack as he had before, he rolled under her blades, came up swinging at her exposed back. He only struck air. He was beginning to grow frustrated. This was of course the best he had done with this exercise. Before, she could dispatch him with ease.

That did not change the fact that he still could not touch her. Could not even come close to even being able to keep up with her. She was just too fast.

 _Remember what I taught you,_ he could hear her voice in his head, _let go of your fear and trust in the Force. Let it guide you._

He sighed deeply, letting his mind at peace until it was steady. He closed his eyes, and deactivated the lightsaber. Alone he stood in the darkness, feeling about for an incoming attack.

 _Stretch out with your feelings,_ he remembered Ben telling him all those years ago, _let go your conscious self and act on instinct._

So he did. He allowed his mind to wonder, closely, through the cold air about him. Let it wonder through the waves of sound and light, riding them and peering about through the darkest corner. Then in a single reaction, without conscious thought, he drew his saber. And there before him was Ahsoka Tano.

This time however he did not allow her to simply slip away into the darkness. Instead, he pressed his attack. He charged forward swinging his blade in wide powerful arcs that swept the air around like a ball of fire. Nimbly, she zipped and dived between the incoming attacks before landing on all fours and coming up with both sabers in an uppercut. Quickly, Luke stepped back, avoiding the blades and bring his up as she came down upon him before flipping over him.

He whirled around, swinging for a swipe at the shoulders. She however ducked to the ground and delivered a kick to his leg which dropped him to the hard cold floor. While stunned by the sharp pain that radiated from his knee, Luke rolled to the side as she came down upon him. He rose to one knee, blocked a blow and then counter attacked, stabbing forward like a master of the rapier. As she retreated a step, he amped up his assault, throwing in cleaves and chops aimed at the stomach and shoulders.

Again and again she proved her mastery of acrobatics, dodging and rolling from his attacks before taking to the air and flipping over Luke's head. However, Luke soon took off after her, applying his own strength to his leaps as he barreled through the air. Out of the two, Ahsoka was clearly the lighter, more agile, having complete control of her body as she danced and bobbed across the walls. Luke struggled to keep up with her, focusing all of his might into very simple movement, hoping to cut her off and bring her to ground. She however hoped and somersaulted from wall to wall, forcing Luke to constantly change directions until the inevitable happened.

He finally lost focus and miscalculated a jump, landing him painfully on the floor. He groaned as he fought to rise, hot pain soaring through his left leg like a hot iron. Then as he did the lights turned on, blinding him momentarily. As his vision cleared and as did his other senses, he saw his master approaching. She was… clapping?

 _"_ _Good. Very good."_

He relaxed, allowing his exhausted body a moment to rest.

 _"_ _Sure doesn't feel like it,"_ Luke panted. She only shook her head and smiled reprovingly.

 _"_ _You adapted well. You struggled at first but you then allowed yourself to enter the flow of the Force. I could feel you allowing it to direct your course. When you did, you were able improvise to my fighting style."_

 _"_ _But I still lost."_

 _"_ _Well, you tried a little too hard to match me. Remember, you must see an engagement as a set of terms. A set of rules. Here, you tired to fight me on my grounds. Tried to match me in my agility."_

 _"_ _Yeah,"_ Luke chuckled painfully, _"_ _I'm regretting that now. How are you able to move so quickly so effortlessly?"_

 _"_ _Quite simply, my young padawan,"_ she answered with a grin, _"_ _Togrutans are hunters first and foremost. We are built for speed. To be quick enough to catch the greatest game before they catch you."_

 _"_ _So I'm fighting biology, huh?"_

She had to laugh.

 _"_ _You're fighting yourself. Don't try to match me, Luke. Change the rules and make me come to you."_

She turned her back to him, her hands clasped behind as she walked a good ten paces away before turning. In less than a second she dropped into a combat stance with her sabers held in her classic reverse grip. In response, Luke drew her saber and readied himself like a Samurai; the blade held tight in both hands as his stance shifted to a supported position. Across from him, Ahsoka allowed herself to smile.

 _"_ _Again."_

* * *

R2-D2 raced down the hall with all the speed his servos could muster. He had to be quick or it would be all over before they could see. He bump his way past multiple personnel walking to thro from the base; cursing binary obscenities as he crashed into wall. Ironically, it got him right where he needed to be.

 _"_ _R2-D2!"_ C-3PO cursed at him, _"_ _What in the galaxy are you doing!? Streaming around like that. You'll blow a circuit you rust bucket!"_

He didn't have time for his friends constant complaining. He beeped anxiously at him.

 _"_ _What's he saying?"_ Leia asked.

 _"_ _He said… Master Luke is dueling Mistress Tano in storage room 3."_

With that, Han and Leia along with Chewbacca raced out of the room, almost knocking over C-3PO in the process. As they darted down the hall, Chewie growled his challenge. Han smirked:

 _"_ _Oh I wouldn't miss this even if a million credits dropped in my face."_

* * *

Their eyes were locked with heavy concentration as they slowly moved towards each other. They circled like a pair of alpha Rancors, eager for the kill. They watched each other's movements closely, anticipating the others move pattern. A shift of the leg followed by a counter shift. A change in posture from defensive to offensive and back again.

Blades held low, then high. Luke shifted the saber from one hand to the other, Ahsoka cycling from reverse grip to standard. Then she moved. She dived directly at him, her sabers held tight as she swung high and low. Luke backed up, sliding into a tight defensive pattern as blocked each in coming jab, each overcoming slice and chop. Then he countered, first opening up with a quickened stab then following with four consecutive chops in an X-pattern.

She bobbed and weaved only slightly, moving only the inches she needed before carrying the offensive once more. To the spectators watching the growing fight, she moved like a green blur bouncing from side to side. Luke countered the best he could, holding his blade straight and sliding it side to side blocking each blow with only the minimalist amount of energy. He applied the classic defensive style of Seresu, Ben's style, holding out until he could make a counter and open a hole in Ahsoka's defense. She however afforded him no breathing space.

She offset each attack, making sure never to hit in the same order twice. Unrelenting she moved as she drove Luke one step after the other backwards until at last she created an opening. She stuck him with both sabers over the head, causing him to move it from his chest up to the block. As he did, she struck him first with a kick to the stomach, causing him to slump. Then she followed with whirling strike to the underside of his chin, throwing him backwards as she somersaulted back before charging forward.

To her amazement, Luke recovered quickly, dropping low and hitting her with a preemptive upperslash that threw her off the attack. Luke did not stop. He then advanced as he threw impressive strength into chops and cleaves on her sides before striking the middle with the occasional jab. Ahsoka slipped into her defense. Rather than standing still and meeting each blow strength for strength, she bounced back and forth between each strike, using her sabers in tandem to first defend then counter with either a jab or a slash.

Undeterred, Luke blocked each counter and continued his advance. One step after the other he practically marched forward. Blue met green in constant whirls of death so quickly that they were blurs to the naked eye. Chewbacca growled his amazement at the display. Han nodded, stupefied by the duel:

 _"_ _You said it Chewie. I'm surprised their arms haven't fallen off at this rate."_

 _"_ _Actually sir, the chances of that are 115 to…"_

 _"_ _Shut it Gold Rod."_

Ahsoka panted with the effort. While her endurance was impressive, she knew that she couldn't hope to outlast Skywalker in this one-sided exchange. He was like an unstoppable avalanche, pressing forward never resting as battled onward. However, his numb minding attack was beginning to show its mark on him. His strikes started to slack so she took advantage of it.

She struck low and then high before disengaging. She threw herself into the air and landed a good ten paces away. She controlled her breathing, loosening her muscles as she reassessed her opponent. She was always amazed at how quickly Luke learned, adapted. In less than five minutes of on and off engagement, he was adapting to her Ataru and even countering it.

He knew her moves were of constant motion so he prevented her from moving as best as he could. She would need to change strategies and she knew exactly how to do it. She reignited her blades and charged forward in a powerful burst, catching Luke off guard as she barreled him down with one powered strike. He stumbled and fell, struggling to recover when she attacked again.

 _"_ _Hurggha!"_

 _"_ _He's not on the ropes yet, Chewie,"_ Han cursed annoyingly, _"_ _C'mon look at him. He's taking the best she's got."_

 _"_ _Grace always defeats strength, Han,"_ Leia remarked, _"_ _she's much faster than Luke."_

 _"_ _And just whose side are you on, princess?"_

Ahsoka soon fell into a constant cycle. She would strike, then disengage. Then strike again, this time from different angle before jumping back. This forced Luke into constant unpredictable defenses where he was slowly being worn down. Luke struggled now to keep his guard under her pulverizing strikes, and he knew that he needed to take the offensive if he hoped to win.

So when she attacked again, he counterstruck first and sent her back. Undaunted she somersaulted back, but Luke leapt right after her. Tensions mounted as the spectators gasped as he struck the ground with all his might, shattering the ground before him. However, Ahsoka was nowhere to be seen. Then he looked right and she coming right at him.

He tried to block, but he moved far too slow. Her blade slashed him over the shoulder before she stuck him in the back with a kick to the back. Pain rocked him like a thunderbolt but she was not finished. She kept moving in, slashing at his knees as he struggled to defend himself, all the while throwing in kicks to the stomach, the thighs and the shoulders. All of these disoriented him until at last she struck him directly in the face with her boot.

He flopped to the floor with a loud _thump,_ the energy drained from his tired bruised body. His shoulder and legs stung tender from saber hits they'd received. Though their blades were set with a training setting so that they wouldn't take each other's limps off, it still hurt like hell.

 _"_ _Hurrgg."_

Angrily, Han handed the big Wookie a credit stick. Chewie grinned from ear to ear as Leia scowled at the two of them.

 _"_ _It was his idea,"_ Han replied accusingly, to which Chewie slapped him hard on the back.

 _"_ _How did I defeat you?"_ Ahsoka asked as walked over to her battered student. Tiredly, Luke replied:

 _"_ _You're just too fast. I couldn't keep up."_

Bending over, she looked him right in the eyes.

 _"_ _Do you really believe that me being faster has anything to do with the Force, Junior?"_

Luke scowled angrily at her, to which she simply smiled.

 _"_ _You lack focus. You have raw power, but you still fight with the precision of thermo-hammer. You must allow the Force guide your strikes. Otherwise, you'll always end up here."_

He shook his head tiredly and she turned her back on him again, her sabers held at either side.

 _"_ _Again."_

He couldn't believe it. Just how many more times did she have to beat him before he could at least take a minute? He shook it off though and rose, his blade readied.

 _"_ _How much more of this can Master Luke take?"_

Han grinned.

 _"_ _A lot more. Chewie I raise you 50."_

Ahsoka spun and struck. It become a rhythm of movements as she struck him from side, top and bottom. Luke defended each one but when he tried to counter she just threw him back and kept hitting him. Then before he knew it, her saber was at his nose. An exhaust of surprised breath escaped him as he backed away from the blade.

 _"_ _What are you waiting for Luke? An invitation?"_

Luke drew back into his combat stance. She did as well.

 _"_ _Focus Luke. Stop trying to match me. Let go your mind and let the Force guide you."_

This time, Luke made the first move. He struck forward and began slashing to and fro until she caught him in a blade guard, holding his saber between both of hers.

 _"_ _Stop resisting, Luke. Give into the Force."_

Then she struck him and the cycle continued. Then it happened. A sense of calm overcame Luke and he closed his eyes, his limps moving not of his mind but of the guiding Force, blocking and countering before driving her back. He struck low then high before landing a stab that barely missed her face. Utterly shocked, she tried to step away.

Luke then slashed at the air between them, causing her to take a precious step back. Before she could so much as move an inch more, he struck forward with a single precise jab. She back into a wall but the evidence was clear as day. Luke's saber was at her throat.

 _"_ _I don't believe it,"_ Leia gasped. Han chuckled and elbow Chewie softly. Begrudgingly, he handed over what was due. When Luke opened his eyes, she saw that Ahsoka was smiling proudly at him.

 _"_ _Very good."_

 _"_ _Heh,"_ he chuckled as he deactivated his saber, _"_ _only took me getting beaten by you about a dozen times for me to learn that."_

 _"_ _It's all in experience, Luke."_

 _"_ _Yeah, experience in getting my butt kicked."_

 _"_ _Oh, quiet you,"_ she chuckled hitting him lightly in shoulder.

 _"_ _Ow, that's still tender!"_

 _"_ _Stop complaining kid!"_ Han shouted out from across the room, _"_ _You're ruining the moment."_

 _"_ _I'm glad you enjoyed the show, you four…,"_ R2 beeped loudly from behind Chewbacca, _"_ _you five, but don't you have better things to do?"_

 _"_ _Not really,"_ Han smirked. She glared at him annoyingly, and he sighed, being pulled away by Leia as the others followed suit. At last alone, Luke and Ahsoka stared at each other intently. Then almost at the same time they exclaimed:

 _"_ _I have to tell you something."_

Awkwardly, the two of them shifted embarrassingly.

 _"_ _You first."_

 _"_ _No, you. Yours seems more important than mine,"_ she smirked at him. He chuckled dryly, but then his face became somber.

 _"_ _When I was out in the cold I saw… somebody I shouldn't have."_

 _"_ _Obi-Wan."_

 _"_ _You… knew?"_

 _"_ _When I was looking for you I… I sensed him. I wasn't sure then but now… he told you something, didn't he?"_

He nodded, looking down at the floor contemplating his answer before he spoke:

 _"_ _He told me I had to go to someplace called Degobah… to learn from someone called Yoda."_

This shocked her deeply. For many years after seeing him again at the temple on Lothal, she'd wondered if it had been real or just a creation of the temple's connection to the Force. If he truly survived the fall of the Jedi. Now she had her answer and the timing couldn't have been worse.

 _"_ _Are you okay?"_

 _"_ _I am Luke, but… if this is true than our time, our training…"_

 _"_ _You know who he is, don't you?"_

She nodded.

 _"_ _Master Yoda was the greatest of the Jedi. He was my teacher before your father. He was wise and powerful, some said he was at least 800 years old when the Clone Wars began,"_ Luke was stunned by this fact, _"_ _but he was kind. He cared deeply for every living person. But I thought he'd died a long time ago."_

 _"_ _I guess not. Ahsoka… will you be coming with me?"_

She stared sorrowfully at the floor.

 _"_ _I don't know Luke. I don't know if we're meant to be together at this point."_

 _"_ _Hey, don't say that,"_ Luke replied warmly, his hand caressing her cheek softly, lifting her eyes to him, _"_ _we've been through too much for anybody to ever think that."_

She held his hand warmly as she gazed longingly in his eyes.

 _"_ _I'm scared Luke."_

 _"_ _Don't be,"_ he whispered softly. The two stared a while into the other, watching with intent as the world buzzed with the confusion of emotions. They leaned close now, their noses touched softly as they closed their eyes, and allowed the inevitable occur once more. However, it did not last long when the air stirred with the sound of Ahsoka's holo-comm unit. Reluctantly, they broke contact as she activated the comm. Unit.

It was a recording of Rex.

 _"_ _Commander, I don't know what time this will get to you so I will make this quick. I've intercepted an encrypted message from a Probe Droid to the Executor Battle Group."_

 _"_ _Oh no,"_ Luke sounded their fears for them. They knew all too well who commanded that particular fleet.

 _"_ _Ahsoka, Vader knows where you are. He's coming for you. And my sources tell me that he is not alone."_


	6. Walker Assault

Chapter Five: Walker Assault

* * *

Approximately a mile outside of the perimeter of the orbital shield surrounding the defenses of Echo Base, the Imperials made planetfall. Screaming through the cold air like the roar of a dragon, a dozen dropships came to land on a patch of exposed valley flanked by high cliffs designated by Imperial Commanders as Landing Zone Theta. As per standard protocol, the half dozen Lamda-A Troop shuttles made the touchdown first, depositing their venerable combined company strength of elite Snowtroopers. Quickly, they secured the LZ while also established a defendable perimeter and laying out quick assemble landing strips for the rest of their heavy transports. After this was finished, 4 Incomm L78 Transports containing their deadly cargo of Arctic AT-ST Walkers made their approach and within a record time of 90 seconds had 12 of the battle hardened war machine out on the prowl.

The AT-ST's marshaled into four separate battlegroups, supported each by a platoon of soldiers who would be making their own approach either on foot or via modified troop crawlers. These were fairly simplistic tracked half-tracks that while somewhat antiquated proved cheap and effective. Once mobilized came the gravest threat to the Rebel presence on the planet: the Titan Transports. These were massive in size, like giant monstrous parasitic slugs found by many an unfortunate space farer in asteroids, their ominous shadow casting a sense of dread and unease to any unfortunate to face their deadly cargo. The landing shook the land with its weight, the massive ramp opening to reveal the marching footsteps of four massive All Terrain Assault Transports. They made their steady, unnerving march that shook the environment with micro tremors.

This was made worse by the fact that there were eight of them.

 _"So this is what that feels like."_

Situated and hidden on either side of the valley were A and B Commando groups. Each soldier was completely submerged in snow, hiding their heat signatures from any sensor scans that might be made of this landing zone. The area around Echo Base was almost completely surrounded by rolling mountains and fragile frozen lakes, making any sort of large scale landing impossible. All except for this one frozen out remains of a pre-historic river bed that led directly into the heart of the Rebel defense. The Commandoes had been lying in wait for the Imperial Beachhead for the better part of a day.

Sergeant Cal Maxim knew all too well what the Imperials would be deploying in an attack against the entrenched Rebels, but he also knew the very strict requirements for landing such monstrous vehicles, especially on a frozen world. He had made such a landing years ago during an attack against a Rebel garrison on Rhen Var. They'd occupied a long range listening post, so the Imperials had been dispatched to take it back. It had been a bloody battle. The Transports had to brave anti-aircract fire and then land on a large frozen lake under the shadow of an ancient watchtower.

The lake had been thin in several places. All it took was for one step from the heavy AT-AT's to break through and take the entire warmachine, plus the poor 40 Troopers in their cargo, straight to the bottom. Then they began the actual assault against a heavy entrenched force with Anti-Tank weaponry, turning into a nightmarish building to building, tunnel to tunnel purge. His commander at the time was none other than then Colonel Veers. The man had learned well from that Pyrrhic victory, and had spent the better part of several years perfecting the walkers usage, which had culminated into a book issued to their commanders.

Cal had a copy with him even now. He adjusted his binoc's and shivered despite the thermals in his suit. This was very classic of Veers. He'd attached two AT-AT's to each battlegroup; each now having the escort of an entire platoon strength of Snowtroopers and four Scout Walkers. Even one of these would lethal to their defenses, four could easily sweep through.

Corporal Ree Zian could feel the heavy fear on her heart, her breaths heavy and tight as her sniper rifle trained on the exposed troopers below in the valley below. She'd seen such warmachines before during the campaign on Sullust, but never in true force. It terrified her like nothing before. They seemed utterly unstoppable, like ants to a boot. What could they do against such monsters?

She felt Cal's hand caress her shoulder reassuringly. She flinched in reply, but she dared not take her eyes off her scope. Cal spoke softly in their comm. Unit:

 _"We don't have to beat them Zian. We just need to slow them down."_

 _"Can we do even that?"_ she replied fearfully. He chuckled softly.

 _"I've served in these before. They're not invincible. Just need to hit them the right spot and they'll go down like anything else."_

Specialist Marne Maktaversh entered their channel.

 _"It's these damn Chicken Walkers that got me worried. Me and Dare have tangoed with these buggers before. Fast as lightning if yer not careful."_

Then it was Specialist Dare Maktaversh turn to join the banter.

 _"Nothin'a couple detonators and ions at their feet won't fix. Course gotta take 'em out all at once."_

 _"We're here to observe and report,"_ Captain Barker replied, _"Nothing more 'till we see an opportunity."_

He reached into his comm. Control and tuned into B Group's radio frequency.

 _"Cashman, this is Maddog. What's your status over?"_

 _"Cashman here. We've set the charges along Theta route and we're on our way back."_

From Cal's advice and experience, B-Group under Captain Tak Yau had been laying large explosive charges along the path the AT-AT's would need to travel along for the better part of an hour. The frozen ground beneath the heavy snow would largely suppress the explosives power, so there was little chance of blowing potholes for the AT-AT's to fall into, but they hoped they could at least take out everything else and cause some confusion. That would at least buy time for the evacuation back at Echo Base. Now Barker tuned into Echo Bases command signal, speaking in code in case their signals were being monitored:

 _"Echo this is Aurek. House Guests have made landfall. 1.6 Kilometers out, Theta. Party Favors are as follows: dozen-an-egg Chickens, hand and three Roosters and company ordered chicks. Confirm, over?"_

Several seconds passed as the receiver decoded the phrase, then replied:

 _"Echo copies. Party gifts being assembled and ready for delivery. Party Guests making split within dozen spans, over."_

He grimaced. Dozen spans meant that they were still two hours out from their transports being fully loaded and ready for takeoff. They'd had three days and it still hadn't been enough. Still, it was as small a window as they could make.

 _"Copy Echo. Aurek out."_

The rest of A and B group didn't need to be told, they'd heard every word. Two hours was going to be a hell of a stay.

 _"Cal, what's next?"_

 _"This is the first wave. No doubt Veers will have the support bring their forces in next then the Second Wave will land."_

 _"Vash-ba,"_ the hard, cracked voice surprised them. Lance-Corporal Davos Tyr, a Davorsian, was a man of rarer words that many wondered if he'd gone mute. But they all understood that he only spoke when it truly mattered, _"more? This is not enough?"_

 _"The Empires like a hammer, Davos. They smash you until there is nothing left, and then they'll keep hitting you for good measure."_

 _"When in doubt throw more bodies at it,"_ Zian cursed lightly. Cal nodded. Then Captain Yau came on the line:

 _"Maverick,"_ Cal's callsign, _"what will they be bringing in their support wave?"_

 _"Engineers, clearing vehicles, HAVW A6 Juggernauts and AT-AA walkers."_

 _"I follow you, Cash,"_ Barker replied, _"what's the time gap between the support and second?"_

 _"Maybe fifteen minutes? Why—oh. Well that's a crazy idea."_

 _"A Slip and Shake?"_ The Maktaversh brothers asked.

 _"Pretty much. We got two hours. Let's cause some hell while we're at it."_

* * *

Within the depths of Blizzard 1, Darth Vader and Starkiller stood in the gloom made red by strobe lights as the lumbering beast marched forth. The Snowtroopers seated on either side of their preparations for assault, the air filling with slaps of power cells and armor plating. The forces outside were going to get them in and the assault crews would then storm the base. It would no doubt be a hard fought battle. When entering the system, the previous fleet commander Admiral Ozzel had made the blunder of bringing their forces too close to the Hoth system, spoiling any surprise they had.

Already their sensors detected that the Rebels had activated the shield generator. It had taken them four hours to get their forces ready to move out so no doubt the Rebels had taken the time to entrench. Ozzel for his part had been replaced after Starkiller had cooked him alive with lightning, by now Admiral Piett. Now their forces were going to have cut their way through the enemy defenses and shut down the generator, allowing for orbital bombardment of any Rebel ships attempting escape. Vader and his Dark Apprentice however would not be joining them.

Orbital and thermal scans had detected that the Rebel base had been built into a large cave system. They'd found an entrance that should take them right into the base. The two would begin their infiltration as the battle raged, hoping to capture Skywalker and Tano in the process along with any other targets of opportunity. The intercom came online as General Veers addressed the pair:

 _"My Lords we've reached the entrance point. You may begin your infiltration."_

 _"Thank you, General,"_ Vader replied. The outer doors of the AT-AT opened, revealing the cold stark world outside. Quickly, Vader and Starkiller jumped through, landing gracefully on the ground. Just ahead of them was a large hole. That would lead them straight into the cavern and with luck, their prey.

* * *

Commanders Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano along with Lieutenant-Commander Wedge Antilles stood before the men and women of Rogue Squadron, their faces grim with the coming fight about to descend upon the place they'd called home for the span of two years. Now it was time to bring death to those who would spill blood over the cold snow.

 _"You all know the drill,"_ Luke stared deep into the eyes of each of his wingmen, _"we've practiced this a dozen times and faced a hell of a lot worse. The shield generator will keep the Imperial Fleet from firing on us, but we need to keep their ground forces back as long as we can."_

 _"We're fighting not for victory,"_ Ahsoka continued, _"but for the survival of the Rebellion. We have to buy time for our transports to make it out of the sector."_

 _"Those of you who are on escort duty will report to the Princess. She will give you the details of your mission. The rest of you will be flying with me and Commander Tano. We will be using our air speeders."_

Wedge then brought up the hologram display, showing them a diagnostic of the AT-AT's they'd be facing:

 _"Study this diagram well, boys and girls. These behemoths are tough, but they're not invincible. Their main armor is protected by an on board ray generator, so it will be able to absorb most blaster fire. However, Commander Skywalker and I have long sense learned a few of their weaknesses."_

The diagram flipped over to reveal the underside of the walker.

 _"The underbelly is protected by very thin plating. A few well aimed shots should be able to do a bit of damage to drive carriage and slow them down."_

Ahsoka then zoomed in on the neck.

 _"In order to be flexible, the Empire only installed minimal armor coating within its neck. If you have the opportunity, take your shots and you'll bring it down."_

 _"Commander Tano will be flying a Y-Wing during the assault. Her Ion Torpedoes will be able to disable their ray shields for a good thirty seconds. That will be our opportunity. Be warned however, the armor will still be tough to punch through."_

 _"So what will we do before then,"_ one of the pilots smirked, _"use harsh language?"_

 _"Me and Wedge have developed a technique we like to call the Tied Shoelace,"_ Luke countered, bringing up a snowspeeder onto the screen, _"as you know our T-47's have tow cabals for cargo hauling. The magnetic seals will hook right onto the walker armor, and the cabals are long enough to loop around their legs enough times to, well—"_

The snowspeeder performed the maneuver and the walker crashed to the holographic floor.

 _"Like tying a pair of shoelaces,"_ Wedge grined. The pilots nodded in repliance, _"any more questions?"_

Silence.

 _"We are Rogues,"_ Luke inspired gallantly, _"we are the best of the best, and we take the worst from the rest. We destroyed a Death Star. We can handle a few bucket heads."_

* * *

General Veers commanded the long snaking convoy from his position at the head, Blizzard 1 setting the pace for the rest to follow. Constant streams of information swarmed into his terminal as well as his drivers. Vibrations from his walkers and disruptions of cubic ground formations, as kinetic retaliations caused by any seismic activity and if the grounds were actually solid or just frozen lakes. What worried him most though, was that this had been the only path leading to Rebel camp and they enemy had at least several hours to booby trap the route.

He cursed loudly. If only Ozzel hadn't been so damn clumsy, they might've hadn't even landed until the enemy fortress was smoldering ruins. He then keyed his helmets microphone and connected to his battelgroups comms.

 _"Blizzard 1 to all Typhoon group 1,"_ he addressed his escort, _"route suspected to have been possibly sapped. Deploy anti-mine tactics."_

 _"Copy Blizzard 1, Typhoon Leader proceeding as ordered."_

No doubt it would delay them a few minutes, but Veers wanted his forces intact when they made contact with the enemy. Suddenly his AT-AT rocked with massive vibrations as the viewport in front of him shook wildly. It was as though someone had grabbed the planet and had shook it. He commed his microphone.

 _"Report!"_

The voice that came back was shaken, and Veers knew already what had hit them before he confirmed it.

 _"Sir, Battlegroup 3 reports a massive explosion along the roadside!"_

 _"Damnit!"_ He cursed, _"Damage report."_

 _"Two Scout Walkers have been destroyed, and one of the troop transports had been wrecked. Two more were damaged and Blizzards 5 and 6 report that they've lost shield control!"_

Shield control? Clearly that meant they'd probably packed Maker knows how many ion charges. That meant they not only knew they were coming but also what they were bringing. This added a further strain to his mind. Already this was shaping up like Rhen-Var all those years ago.

 _"Blizzard 1 to all units, proceed with the advance. Any vehicles too damaged are to move out of the way and make their way back LZ Theta. Blizzard 5 and 6, form a rearguard behind out phalanx line. Out."_

He creased his brow between his fingers. Could this day get much worse?

* * *

Deep below the surface of Hoth, the lords of the Sith had made fairly good progress despite the winding and darkened maze of jutting tunnels and caverns clocked with claustrophobic chock points and ledges. At the moment the only real concern was the constantly shaking ground that rocked the ice foundations. Every few steps, they'd side step a falling stalactite or every twenty feet have to push through a collapsed hollow-way. They kept pace however. Time was of the essence.

Then they came across a long chasm dotted by a series of splintered ice pillars rising from a depth disguised by thick fog and darkness. Quickly, they began to cross when suddenly the entire cave system rocked violently, causing entire chunks of the ceiling to come caving in. Worse, one by one the pillars started to fall. With the Force, the two Lords of the Sith began jumping from one collapsing pillar to another. Starkiller applied his acrobatics with flaunting summersaults and rolls while Vader followed close behind. He on the other hand had no heed of such flashy displays and instead used simple power leaps as the pair jumped from one to another.

However, just ahead of them the last dozen pillars were already beginning to crumple. Starkiller landed first and as Vader came down upon him, he used his telekinesis to add momentum to Vader's leap. He landed just barely on the ledge on the otherside. As he turned, Starkiller leapt into the air just as his pillar splintered into the darkness below. Vader grabbed him mid air and brought him over, with his apprentice landing gracefully with a roll.

 _"What happened?"_ Starkiller asked. Vader shook his head.

 _"No doubt the Rebels sabotage Veers's attack route. I warned him it was reckless to proceed so quickly."_

 _"Another blunder to be added upon Ozzel's incompetence,"_ the Dark Apprentice replied, and two pressed on. Then after a dozen feet the two stopped and drew their sabers, the scarlet illuminated the pitch dark corridor. Now sooner than a handful of breaths after, a billowing mass of fur and teeth broke from the fog, towering over even Lord Vader. It roared angrily at the pair and raised its large clawed paw to swipe at Starkiller. He rolled to the side and Vader stepped forward, his saber swinging wide and hard.

The beast screamed in blood curdling pain as it clutched its cauterized stump. Then Vader grabbed the Snow Monster by the throat and threw it hard against the wall with bone breaking _crunch._ The two stepped inside their sabers illuminating the large cavern. Then there was a loud, bellowing enmass of primordial growls and suddenly dozens of the beast appeared from every crevice and cranny, surrounding the two humans. They drew together, back to back, their sabers raised, as the beasts charged.

* * *

 _"The first transport is away!"_ the intercom blared proudly amid the cheers and whoops of countless soldiers, _"I repeat the first transport is away!"_

Luke Skywalker quickly dodged in and among the moving crowds of pilots, technicians and soldiers making the last minute preparations to evacuate. Eventually he reached his T-47 and already his gunner Dak was seated running diagnostics. Wedge and his gunner Jensen came up from behind and made their way to their neighboring snowspeeder. However, just before he could climb in Ahsoka grabbed him gently by shoulder. He turned and smiled slightly and she returned the favor before it grew serious.

 _"Luke if I don't make, I just—"_

 _"Hey we'll both make it. We've gone up against a hell of lot worse than these slugs,"_ he grinned winningly. She smiled softly; already he showed some of the confidence his father had. Always so brave in spite of the danger. She hoped it would be enough. She nodded once.

"May the Force be with you."

"And you."

However, when they began to pull away, they pulled each other back and kissed very softly and very briefly. She then took off down the hall and just as she round the corner; she took one last look back at her student before disappearing out of sight. Luke turned and found Wedge smiling proudly at him, nodding as he did. Luke glared angrily back and his smile just grew wider.

 _"It's about time."_

 _"Shut up."_

* * *

Right on schedule, the rest of the dropship flotilla made landfall and began depositing their cargo. The surrounding valley soon became ablazed with activity as Engineers began constructing a series of permanent landing platforms, massive clearing vehicles widening the area about and leveling the topsoil together to create a more stable area. Soon after, the rest of the shuttles landed, depositing a collection of AT-AA's and a pair of HAVW A6 Juggernauts, which rolled off the tarmac onto the compacted snow. The AT-AA's quickly took position in a classic defensive square, which allowed a very effective cross fire if any sort of air craft attempted an air assault. The Juggernauts on other remained idle and parked, waiting for the next wave of ground troops to arrive.

The Juggernauts were an old vehicle from the Clone Wars, like an armored train on ten heavy transaction wheels, bustling with laser canons, turrets and missile pods. While they were not as well armed or armored as AT-AT's, they were lower to the ground and could carry could carry nearly 3 companies worth of Stormtroopers. So they now served as a fire support support vehicle to be used in the second wave. And now for the Rebel Commandoes infiltrating the Landing Zone. For the better part of ten minutes, the two groups had been low crawling down into the valley, their winter uniforms well camouflaging them from the light security detail patrolling the area.

A-Group was making their way to the first of AT-AA's, dodging from cover to cover, cargo containers to fuel depots. Once they got within fifty feet of their target, Cal took point. He rolled from cover to a small ridge that allowed him to loop up to the back of the squat four legged walker. As he came up to the edge, he spotted a single Snowtrooper standing just in front of him. He waited patiently until he turned his back to begin pacing back to his patrol point.

Cal drew his combat knife and made his move. He came up behind the trooper, cupping his hand in front of his mouth, bringing his head crashing down unto his blade, severing the spinal cord. Then he looked up and there was another trooper coming his way, and before he could move he was spotted.

 _"Hey!"_ he shouted as he raised his weapon on the commando. Then Zian came up from behind and delivered a coup de grace under the armpit, her long blade penetrating the trooper's heart. He dropped like rag doll. Cal nodded his thanks and she did the same. Then they dragged the bodies away and out of sight. Following this, the Maktaversh brothers followed by Davos quickly made their move and proceeded at low pace to the AT-AA.

The walkers' crew was still performing checkups, so it became easy work to dispatch the trio. Davos then climbed up onto the access hatch and dropped in, slamming the pilots head against the armored bulkhead and knocking him unconscious. He then threw him to the back to make room for the rest of his squad. A few seconds later, they came down the hatch and quickly took their positions. Davos scooted over to make room for their Captain. Barker grimaced at the control.

 _"Maker, it's been a while."_

 _"Not too rusty eh?"_ Zian chuckled. He glowered back.

 _"Better hope not, missie, or else I'm taking you with me to whatever afterlife there is. Maktaversh are the charges set?"_

 _"Aye cap'n. Should have us quite a show when they go."_

 _"Right,"_ barker began working with the pilot controls as he issued orders, _"Cal, Davos, take the turret controls. When the shooting starts, keep these bucket heads from filling us with holes. Zian, I want you up top as our spotter. Mak—eh, Marne you familiar with these controls?"_

 _"Aye sir, ma an' Dare piloted Chicken Walkers, so ought to not be too different."_

 _"Good, you're my co-pilot. Dare get over to the missile control. If memory serves right we should already have 24 flak ion missile ready. You should be able to load another magazine tray remotely. You see it?"_

 _"I see it. Pullin' on targeting comps now_."

He pulled up a large terminal that gave him a camera view of missile pods, and began levitating it up to an 85 degree angle, giving him a good targeting vector of anything coming down. Barker checked his watch. Two minutes to go. He keyed his microphone:

 _"Maddog to Cashman, stage one complete. Proceed stage two."_

 _"Copy Maddog, Besh proceeding to objective. Out."_

B-Squad now had to commandeer one of the Juggernaut's just as the shooting started. Fortunately for them, they'd only have to deal with the dozen or so crew. The bad news, however, is that it would take a good five minutes to start the manual checkups and get the monster of metal moving. Fortunately, they'd arranged a little surprise for them. Barker hoped it would be enough.

He then nudged Marne, and the two began moving the walker back several feet or so to where they were shielded by high cargo containers. This caught the eye of a few of the security detail and they started moving towards them.

 _"We've got company!"_ Cal radioed.

 _"Got targets!"_ Dare called back. High above the rest of the second wave including the Titan Transports had cleared the atmosphere and were making planetfall. Dare brought up target control and locked onto three of the closest of transports. They didn't need to destroy them, but just needed to convince them that landing was not in their best interests.

"Zian, hit the charges!"

She then produced a detonator and pulled the plug. Suddenly the entire field in front of them exploded in a dozen mushroom clouds as the micro-explosives detonated fuel cells and munitions, bathing the area in a massive aura of orange hue. She then popped the hatch and fired at the first Snowtrooper in sight, dropping with a bolt to the head that threw him back several feet.

 _"Open fire!"_

Suddenly the twin blaster cannons in front of the walker began cutting down anybody in sight that wasn't them. Dare fired the program, unleashing two dozen missiles in a massive blackening cloud as they rocketed toward their targets. The first transport hit was a Lambda shuttle, which was quickly ripped apart as six of the missiles hit the wings and cockpit, reducing to a flying fireball plummeting straight into the airfield. The rest hit the two titan transports. These were tougher than the lambda, only bent and smoking from the barrage.

Dare quickly loaded another tray of the missiles and reacquired targets. The missiles fired and this time hit the Incomm transports which either exploded in midair or came crashing down to the ground. The end result though was all the same. The transports hightailed it out of the hotzone. Outside, the Snowtroopers soon took cover and began tossing detonators at the renegade walker.

Zian quickly ducked under the hatch, closing it as she did. The detonators pummeled the armor but were held off. Then suddenly the containers shielding them from the front started taking fire as the other three AT-AA's began unleashing their own payloads at them. While most hit the thick industrial cargo containers, a few hit the top of the walker. The armor shook and bent in several places as the rockets exploded on impact.

Then another wave of explosives slammed into the hull, compromising the armor more and destroying their own missile pod in an echoing detonation. Another wave, another twenty seconds, and they'd be dead, Barker knew. But then again they had an ace up their sleeve.

 _"Maddog, this is Cashman. Package is ours!"_

They squad cheered, and for the first time in a while Barker allowed himself to smile.

 _"'Bout time! Care to take cover of these punks knocking on our door?"_

 _"Get ready to move, we're coming in!"_

Quickly, the walker began a sideways march and cleared the containers, their blaster cannons blasting everything in their way. The other three AT-AA were well within sight. Then suddenly all hell literally broke loose as one of the Juggernauts smashed its way through the field, throwing vehicles, containers and equipment flying in all directions as it unleashed its arsenal of rockets and blaster cannons. One by one the AT-AA's were set ablaze as the Juggernaut continued its unstoppable rampage, crashing into the second Juggernaut at full speed and sending it tumbling over down a hill. It then reversed and came up in front of the last AT-AA.

 _"Somebody called for a cab?"_

* * *

After a span of minutes, the only sounds remaining were the reverberated and muffled respirators of the two Sith Warriors as stood in a sea chocked by corpses. They panted slightly, their blades raised, feeling about in the darkness for next wave to arrive. Instead, only silence of the dead greeted them. Finally, they withdrew their blades and continued along their way. They then found another tunnel leading straight up a hill, and this one had the clear signs of being excavated by laser tools.

After thirty paces, the two came across a clearing, and at the end was a bulkhead door.

 _"At last,"_ Starkiller mechanical voice echoed in the cavern, but as he took a step forward Vader halt him with a hand to the shoulder. He turned, and Vader ignited his saber. Starkiller followed his lead, and the two proceeded cautiously forward. After a mere few steps, there was an alarm and a cluster of turrets sprouted from the ceiling and floor, their targeting sensors scanning the two and registering them as hostiles.

 _"The Rebels were not as foolish are I thought,"_ Vader growled as he deflected blaster fire with his saber. Starkiller nodded as he did the same.

 _"They were expecting the beasts below."_

 _"Do not be so certain, Marek."_

Then more turrets appeared, this time firing off fragmentation rockets. With a gestured of his hand Vader caught the rockets in mid-air, then spun them around and sent them flying back at their deliverers. As he did this, Starkiller sprinted forward, dodging blaster fire and somersaulting through air. He slashed at the turrets to his side, then ripping a section of the roof down and using as a shield. Vader came up from behind, leaping high and throwing his saber at the turrets.

Like a boomerang, the saber flew in an arc as it slashed apart more of the turrets before returning to Vader's hand. Then Starkiller threw their cover at the remainder, smashing them under their weight.

 _"Well done,"_ Vader complimented. Starkiller nodded. The pair began their approach when suddenly the bulkhead door opened, revealing a squad of soldiers armed with flamethrowers.

 _"Alright you mangy—oh no! Close the door! Close the door!"_

He was cut short as two blades dissected him and the rest of his squad in half, causing the fuel tanks on their backs to explode. Vader and Starkiller threw up a Force Wall and the fire swarmed around them. Through the smoke and soot, the Lords of the Sith advanced. Already more soldiers were arriving. Only more bodies to be added to the slaughter.

* * *

 _"Echo Station 5-7, we're on our way."_

Through the air zoomed almost a dozen T-47 Snowspeeders followed by a single Y-Wing. They flew low to the ground, giving the battered and bedraggled defenders on the ground hope that they might just survive a few more minutes. From the air, Luke Skywalker had a commanding view of the battlefield and it looked grim. The Imperials had arranged their AT-AT walkers in an arrowhead formation, and each were flanked by a contingent of AT-ST's and ground troops. This allowed for a withering crossfire to be made from the looming walkers as they picked apart the defenders.

Already Luke's wingmen had to bob and zigzag to be hit, but his second rank dared not deviate from their formation. They were shielding Ahsoka Tano's Y-Wing. They knew she could spare perhaps a handful of bombing runs before they would turn their attention to her and shoot her down, so they knew not to spoil their chance.

 _"Attack pattern Delta!"_ Luke commanded and the aircraft peeled off, Luke led the right flank flying around the AT-AT's as the strafed the forces on the ground, Wedge on the left doing the same and the rest flew over the AT-AT's with the Y-Wing close behind.

Then regrouped and split into three wings, with the Y-Wing in the middle.

 _"Alright, I'm going in,"_ Ahsoka said over the comm., _"you boys keep me covered."_

 _"Copy Commander, proceeding with attack."_

She flew in and began dropping her payload. Flying in, she'd noticed that two of the walkers had lagged behind the rest, so she targeted them first. She fired off her Proton Torpedoes at the pair, the blasts hitting the one on the right over the neck while the second on actual head. The explosion on the right walker practically decapitated the walker, causing it to plummet to the ground to the ground. The second was far luckier and withstood the attack, granted smoke billowed from the damage.

The walker raised its head and returned fire, its heavy blaster bolts zipping around the Y-Wing as she took evasive fire. However, the three wings of Snowspeeders had noticed its apparent vulnerability and began strafing it in a long pattern of fire. Knowing that their blaster cannons would still be useless against the tough armor, they concentrated fire upon the already damaged bridge, the blaster bolts punching through and causing the walker to explode in a billow of fire. Ahsoka continued her attack run, firing now a package of ion torpedoes in a wide cone. She made her mark on three, the ion's in the shell disabling the AT-AT ray shields onboard, but her fourth hit on the lead had missed just slightly and only deposited a fraction of its payload. The ray shield sparkled brightly but restored itself.

 _"This is Blizzard 1!"_ Veers commanded, _"These Rebel scum have a bomber! Spread your battlegroups and bring it down!"_

 _"Sir Blizzards 5 and 6 are not responding!"_

He cursed angrily.

 _"All AT-ST's use anti-air missiles and bring those speeders down!"_

Suddenly a cloud of missile fired from the ground. These were heat seekers. Two of the Snowspeeders were hit on the end, exploding in a fireball. The rest scattered, flying high and low hoping to outrun the missiles flight path. A third speeder was destroyed and a fourth was damaged.

 _"Rogue Leader I'm hit! Oh Maker, I've got four bandits on me! I can't shake them!"_

 _"Hang on Rogue 8!"_ Luke then called out to Wedge, _"Rogue 3! Follow my wing! We're going pull a Blindside!"_

 _"Copy Rogue Leader! I'm on your six!"_

The two speeders flew in a tight pattern, cutting in just behind the fleeing Rogue 8 and catching the attention of the homing missiles. They flew low then high, flying behind Rogue 5 and 7, grabbing their missiles. Now they flew low together, strafing towards the escort detail of two of the AT-AT's. They split and flew a mere few feet above the details, causing the missiles to crash into them and devastate them.

 _"Batteries 1 and 2,"_ Ahsoka called over the general comm., _"we're getting cut to pieces out here! What are you waiting for?!"_

 _"Copy Rogue 2! Firing for effect! Keep clear!"_

On a flat plateau to the left of the advancing Imperials were situated and hidden four MPTL 2a missile batteries. These were shaped like long tracked caterpillars. The core of the body split apart into two flaps on either side like wings to reveal a dozen missile launcher tubes loaded with Proton Torpedoes. Under normal circumstances, these self propelled artillery vehicles avoided directly engaging more than even one AT-AT due to their ray shielding. Fortunately, they had a bomber on their side.

The four batteries fired their payloads. Like a storm cloud, the missile barrage smashed into the Imperials. The first and most exposed AT-AT took extensive damage, its armored hides scorched and welted from onslaught. The second had been standing directly next to the first, and only its top had taken hits. Still, it left enough holes for the circling Snowspeeders to start pelting them. The majority of the shells however had hit escort, blasting apart transports and two Scout Walkers.

 _"Artillery spotted on the ridge!"_ Blizzard 4 responded, _"Blizzard 3's taken heavy damage!"_

 _"Battlegroup 2, split off and deal with that artillery!"_ Veers commanded, _"Battlegroup 4, proceed ahead and move on their right flank! Have your AT-ST's drive the Rebel Forces back, and deal with these blasted speeders. We'll continue onto the shield generator!"_

 _"Rogue Leader, this is Rogue 2. I'm commencing my attack run."_

 _"Copy Rogue 2. Rogue 5 and 6, move in and escort Rogue 2. Keep any flak off her run. Rogue 3, the AT-AT's are moving to fire on the Flat Top."_

 _"Copy Rogue Leader. Shall we try the Shoelace?"_

 _"Might be the only way. You take the right, I'll take the left."_

 _"Copy Rogue Leader. Jensen, set fire control to your tow cable."_

 _"Dak,"_ Luke called to his back gunner, _"get ready to fire your tow cable."_

 _"Copy Luke. Damn, I've got a malfunction in fire control."_

 _"Just hang on Dak. Get ready to fire your tow cable."_

Luke flew low to try and avoid the AT-AT's devastating fire. However, he drew the unlucky number and caught a bolt, hitting the rear cockpit.

 _"Wedge, I've lost my gunner! You'll have to take the shot!"_

 _"Copy Luke. Keep clear and cover my six."_

Wedge took the lead, flying low under the shadow of the walker with Luke close on his tail. As he flew close, Jensen fired the magnetic tow cable, connecting to the leg.

 _"Good shot, Jensen!"_

Now came the more difficult part. Wedge would need to circle the legs of the walker and hopefully not get blown out of the sky by the remaining AT-ST's. No sooner than he though this they tried just that, using their blaster cannons and making his flight all the more turbulent. Luke followed close behind however, and began strafing the Scout Walkers.

 _"One more pass."_

 _"Coming around, cable out, let it go."_

 _"Detach cable!"_

 _"Cable detached!"_

The Snowspeeders flew away. The walker took one more step and tripped under the five looped cargo cable, slamming right into the ground. The Snowspeeders then looped around and fired upon the fallen AT-AT, hitting its exposed neck and causing the superstructure to explode.

 _"Woohaa! That got him!"_

 _"Nice shooting Wedge, good work."_

Ahsoka lined up here shot, flanked by Rogue 5 and 6. She was going after the AT-AT's on the right flanks, who were massacring the Rebel defenders.

 _"Alright, keep me covered boys."_

She activated both her Ion and Proton Torpedo launchers. She'd never tried it before, but she was going to try firing both simultaneously, hoping the Ion would disable the ray shielding so that the Protons could do their work. She angled her craft, planning to swing up to give her the opportunity to hit the head of the AT-AT at least twice before carrying up and over.

 _"Blizzard 1 to Blizzard 7, watch your nose! The bomber's coming for you!"_

The AT-AT responded, firing its cannons in an arc. As it did, Ahsoka made her attack run, the Ion and Proton torpedoes striking the head of the AT-AT, once then twice. Flares of blue and red mixed as smoke billowed out. She then switched to full Proton's, firing her last three shells along the side of the AT-AT. The walker buckled under the damage, but she grimaced.

She'd missed the neck.

 _"Rogue 5 and 6, you'll have to finish up here. I'm out of torpedoes."_

Suddenly blaster fire streaked across her bow and smoke filled her cockpit.

 _"Blizzard 1, this Blizzard 8. I've winged the bomber. I'm proceeding to finish it off."_

 _"Excellent! I have the shield generator in sight. It will be down in moments."_

 _"Blizzard 3 here! I'm taking heavy fire and my escorts been scattered! I need support!"_

 _"Escort 1, this is General Veers. Proceed to Blizzard 3's location and give him any help you can."_

 _"Sir, you'll be left without support—"_

 _"Do it, soldier!"_

Coughing violently, Ahsoka popped the cockpit canister, throwing the smoke away with the wind. Her terminal flared, engine one wasn't responding and was on fire. The AT-AT continued firing on her, forcing her to desperately swing up and down to avoid being hit again. Now Engine two was sputtering in and out.

 _"Rogue Leader, I've taken heavy damage! My engines are failing and this slug's trying swat me!"_

 _"Just hang on, we're coming to you!"_

It was now or never. A pain hit her hard in the gut. She loved this ship and had spent years trying to find it. Now she was going to have to destroy it. She swung round and leveled her craft with the head of the AT-AT.

 _"Ahsoka, don't do it!"_

 _"Get ready to catch me."_

She pushed the accelerator to the max. A bolt hit her wing then another. But it was too late. She removed her harness and readied herself. As the Y-Wing impacted the head, she leapt high in the air, hitting the top in a roll as the head exploded in a fireball. In seconds, the giant warmachine started to topple and waver.

 _"Uh, Luke? Where's my ride?"_

 _"Start running. You have six seconds."_

She took off in a sprint, jumping as the AT-AT dipped low, landing on its rear. She looked left. There was Luke. She jumped forward. Only air was below her.

Then Luke's Snowspeeder caught her mid-air. Holding onto the railing, she punched through glass and grabbed onto Dak's harness.

 _"That was cutting it close!"_

 _"Now as much as on Yavin! Now let's get out of here!"_

 _"Luke, look out behind you!"_

Suddenly, the speeder was broadsided, its flight controls destroyed as it plummeted to the ground.

* * *

The MPTL 2a's were in the fight of their life. The AT-AT had shot down Rogue 5 and driven off Rogue 6. Now it and an army of pissed off Scout Walkers were coming at them. They fired their second barrage, two firing low at the escort and the others at the AT-AT itself. Despite their efforts to shorten their firing pattern, only a handful of rockets managed to hit the front of the looming AT-AT.

While the rest did more damage on the ground, the effect was negligible. Like a firing squad, the walkers began slaughtering the artillery crew. One launcher went up in flames, then another. The other two took off at a run. The one in front was sent high into the air from the blast before coming down flipped over. The last one stopped in its tracks.

Almost like it was savoring its sweet victory or revenge, the AT-AT gave the last launcher a brief few seconds. Then out of nowhere a HAVW A6 Juggernaut came flying out from over the hill.

 _"Ramming speed!"_ Barker bellowed as Marne pushed the accelerator to the max at 100 mph. The Juggernaut slammed into the AT-AT, toppling it over with a loud _thump_ as it crashed to its side into the snow _._

 _"Fire! Fire! All barrels hot!"_

Now the Juggernaut unleashed its deadly arsenal of missile and blaster fire, shredding the ground forces like a meat grinder. Walkers and transports went up in flames as one after the other as the Super Tank methodically wiped them out.

 _"Reverse, Yau,"_ Barker bellowed in his microphone to B-Group, who were stationed on the opposite side of the Juggernaut, _"Get us up that hill before they take notice!"_

They drove up the hill, shielding the battered artillery crews from further blaster fire. Cal and anybody else not manning fighting positions double timed it to the offloading ramp. Weapons drawn, the prepared to make the mad dash to recover the survivors. As the ramp lowered, the heavy smell of rend metal and ash slithered through even their helmets. As they made their advance, the Commandoes turned on their respirator toxin filters as the fumes of charred blaster residue soon became nauseous, as did the smell of burned flesh.

The Commandoes shifted through the burning wrecks, with many of their crews reduced to smolder by the AT-AT's heavy blaster cannons. Those not cooked alive by the fire were made blackened slumps stark against the white snow. Cal paced his breath, forcing himself to remain stoic for his men. He and Zian made their way to the last surviving MPLT, knocking on the side window. As it lowered, it revealed a man bearing an extremely massive black beard that stretched down to his chest, who cracked a wry smile.

 _"'Bout time you greenhorns got here. What took ya so long?"_

 _"Had to steal a tank,"_ Zian chuckled through her helmet, _"oh and blow up a couple of ships while we were at it."_

 _"Looks like you guys need a ride."_

 _"Sergeant!"_ Davos called on the radio, _"We have wounded here!"_

 _"We're on our way,"_ he called back as the two sprinted back to the rest of the convoy, _"What's their status?"_

 _"Bad,"_ Davos replied grimly. When the pair arrived, they saw why. Two of the gunners had been tossed clear of their vehicles. While alive, their bodies were covered in forth degree burns. Their blackened skins cracked and peeling layers at a time, bone protruding in several spots. Davos had IV drips connected to their arms, administrating a solution of morphine and bacta chemicals.

 _"Maker,"_ Zian breathed. The men had been placed in catatonic induced shock, their eyes wide open as they peered about with a delirious look to them.

 _"M-mmama,"_ one of them stuttered as he turned to Zian, revealing the side of his face. It was burned completely, the cheeks shredded and the cheek bone poking through, the blackened skin so fragile that a slight nudged caused a layer to slip off onto the ground.

 _"Mama?"_ he mewed again, _"Mama is that you?"_

Zian was silent, her face hidden under the helmet but Cal could tell by her body language that she was weeping.

 _"Yes son, I'm here,"_ she replied, pain and sorrow sown deeply in her croaked voice, _"I'm here."_

She clutched his undamaged hand gently. He smiled crookedly before he broke into a sob:

 _"Mama, I'm sorry,"_ tears streamed down the side of his face, _"I can't… I can't…"_

 _"Shhh,"_ she soothed, _"you're going to be alright. Everything's gonna be okay."_

He smile again before he did back into shock. Cal stared hard at the two men.

 _"Davos… do it."_ He whispered. The men were living on borrow time. If they tried to move them, they would die. If they left them, they would freeze. And they knew they couldn't afford to stay with them.

Davos nodded somberly, removing a needle from his med-kit. Zian held the man steady as he looked again at her.

 _"Mama?"_

 _"It's going to be okay."_

Davos injected the overdose into the IV bag. The man's mouth opened, his eyes silted wide as he uttered a simple _Ahh,_ before his body went slack. Quickly Cal took her by the shoulder and marched her away as Davos applied the same effect to the other man. Now Cal could hear her cries even through her helm and he held her tight. Then she looked up and saw the downed the AT-AT in front of them.

She snarled and shouldered her blaster rifle as she began advancing towards it. Cal caught her by the arm and pulled her back.

 _"Let me go."_

 _"No."_

 _"They—"_

 _"I know, Zian. I know."_

She couldn't say anymore. She was stunned, rooted to the spot as she stared back at her squad leader. Then the silence was broken by more voices on the radio:

 _"Cal, we found more survivors!"_

 _"What's their status?"_

 _"Alive sir, but their pinned under the wreck. We can't get them out."_

 _"We're gonna need a cutting torch."_

Cal and Zian ran back to the still operational MPTL, whose crew was disembarking. Cal caught the bearded man by the shoulder.

 _"Driver, do your crews carry plasma torches?"_

 _"Yes, why—"_

He looked over his shoulder and saw why. He spun and began barking out orders to his crew.

 _"Jaksen, get the torches and wielders. Oligard, we're gonna need jacks and flow-sleds."_

 _"They're still locked in the back!"_

 _"Well what the blazes are you waiting for? Life Day? Zirias, get the tow cables. We're gonna need to drag 'em out."_

Minutes passed as the crew began the delicate operation to get their comrades out. They used the plasma torches to first cut open the armored hull of the tank, and then used the hydraulic jacks to push the bent and melted metal deformed out of shape apart to give enough room for them to then slip in the cables.

 _"Conrad!"_ the man called to them, _"we're coming in to get you. Can you guys move?"_

 _"Tanner's legs are broken and my back feels kind of weird,"_ he called back.

 _"Just hang on, buddy,"_ Cal called back, _"we're gonna get you out of there,"_ he then turned to the bearded man, _"is there anything we can do, driver?"_

 _"Call me Mentz. We'll handle getting them out; you just make sure we have a place to go when we do."_

He nodded, and the crew began snaking tow cables through the crack they'd opened to the men inside. On by one, the trapped crew members attached the cables to their chest harnesses and Mentz's men began pulling them out. Tanner was the last one out, screaming as his broken limbs were dragged over the claustrophobic tomb that used to be an artillery tank. As they then prepared to move out, they felt a low rumble. They turned to see another AT-AT coming their way.

 _"Take cover!"_

Then for a second time the ground around them was hacked apart as great torrents crimson fire impacted with the force of a hurricane. Cal and his men dove for the ground and anywhere else they could shelter themselves from. Then another barrage of fire echoes as the Juggernaut rolled forward and began unleashing it's on arsenal of fire upon the looming giant. It turned its way and return fire.

* * *

Luke awoke with an ax splitting headache. He looked around, dazed for a bit. Then the walker above him sent him into action. He activated his lightsaber and slashed his harness, just barely roll away as the walker stepped on his wrecked Snowspeeder and it crumpled to pieces. He looked around, desperately looking for Ahsoka.

Then he spotted her, half buried in the snow. He ran like he never ran before, sliding over to her and checking her vitals. Before he even felt the pulse at her neck, he knew she was alive. Alive but unconscious. He looked up and he saw that the walker was heading away from him. It was firing on what looked like a Juggernaut Tank.

The Juggernaut fired back, hitting it with missiles and blaster cannons, thick black smoking emanating from the damage. But the vehicle was no match for the Imperial Warmachine. The AT-AT pounded it, hitting its armor so hard it rocked back and forth. Then it fired on the back end, and the reverse bridge blew apart in a rocking detonation. Luke ran back to his speeder, grabbing from its remains a grapple launcher, and a Thermal Imploder.

With both in hand, he charged at the walker, getting underneath it. He fired the grapple, activating the reverse cycling and pulling up until he was directly underneath the emergency hatch. Drawing his lightsaber, he slashed apart the hatch and threw the Imploder in, detaching the grapple as he did. He fell, using the Force to soften his landing. The Imploder detonated, taking with the entire core of the vehicle and causing a chain reaction that blew the command bridge to pieces. Soon after, it fell to its side.

Luke smiled triumphantly.

 _"When there's a will, there's a way."_

He then ran back over to Ahsoka, cradling her head as she stirred.

 _"Hmm, Luke? What happened?"_

 _"I—well, it's a long story. C'mon, let's get out of here."_

* * *

 _"Distance to power generator?"_

 _"17.28, sir."_

 _"Target, maximum firepower!"_

In a flash of a second, the shield generator was no more.

* * *

The explosion rocked the very earth in its concussion. It's very bright radiance signaled now the coming annihilation for anyone still trapped on the planet. However, Cal and the surviving ran like hell to the smoldering remains of the Juggernaut. As they arrived, a handful of survivors lurch out from the darkened remains unto the ramp. Among them was Marne, who hefted Captain Barker on his shoulder.

His hand was clenched around a thick piece of metal that had punctured his stomach. As the rest of A-Group swarmed to their downed commander, the two B-Group Commandoes that had been outside began the ascent to the rear bridge, which had become a billow of fire. Barker called to them weakly:

 _"Don't bother, they didn't make it."_

But they didn't listen. They disappeared into the fire and smoke.

 _"Don't talk sir,"_ Davos commanded. He then motioned for the rest of the men to hold the Captain down, _"I'm sorry,"_ and then he grabbed the metal with both hands and yanked it clear. Blood spurted from the gaping hole as the Captain bellowed his painful cry. He spasmed violently as Davos removed a massive delivery syringe. He jammed it into the wound and deposited its synthetic clouting compound that quickly filled the injury with a green gel.

It suctioned together the flesh, applying its clouting chemicals that forced the micro-biomes around to begin healing at an accelerated rate, just enough to create a proper constriction and stop the bleeding both external and internally.

 _"This will only last for so long,"_ he turned to Cal, _"we need to get him to a medical bay. They have the proper equipment for this."_

Cal turned to Marne and Dare. They shook their heads.

 _"The engine on the Tank's dead, Cal. Can't even get it started and it'd take us too long to try a hardwire."_

 _"Then we walk."_

* * *

The Lords of the Sith had now entered one of the auxiliary hangars. They had cut a bloody swath through the Rebel defenses, leaving the hallways chocked with bodies. Those that remained attempted to hold back the two with everything they had.

 _"Keep firing! Don't let them get to the transports!"_

As they deflected more blaster bolts, Vader allowed his senses to reach into the Force until at last he found what he desired.

 _"They are close."_

Both Jedi student and master felt the presence in their mind, an oppressive black cloud that rested in they're psyche. Neither needed to ask to know who. Then they saw an image, Vader and an Inquisitor slaughtering their way through the helpless Rebels. Luke recognized the hangar. He knew Transport 4 was still loading for takeoff.

But the two pressed on, passing by the transport and heading down to another hangar. The very same one the Millennium Falcon was parked.

 _"He's going after them!"_ Luke replied in a panic. Ahsoka's mind raced as darkness flooded into her subconscious. The dream that had eluded her for so long now showed its contents. Spilling into her vision was a deepening blanketing fog that surrounded all around her. She reached her hand our instinctively for Luke, but he wasn't there. Instead, she only grabbed at mist.

Then she heard the sound of a saber activating. She spun, seeing the terrifying black armor wraith of Darth Vader peering over her. Then through the fog came Luke, his blue saber burning through the darkness as he clashed blades. Ahsoka tried to move, tried to run to her apprentice, but she couldn't. She felt welded to the floor, unable to budge from the mist that seemed to grab at her legs and pull her down.

She cried out but could hear no words. She was helpless. Utterly helpless as she watched Luke battled the man that had taken the form of his father had corrupted him to an agent of evil. He swung and fought but the beast was utterly matchless, utterly unstoppable as with a single swipe he slashed Luke's arm from his body. He crumpled to the floor, Ahsoka screaming to a mute world as she tried desperately to wrench forward but it would not let her go. Then her worst nightmare came to be.

Luke was kneeling before Vader, and as he rose again to face her, his eyes were utterly gold in color. Corrupted by the Dark Side.

 _"This is the fate of all Jedi."_

 _"No!"_ she screamed. Then she felt a piercing, unnatural heat the punctured through her chest. She looked down to see a crimson blade through her chest. She stared up at Luke, who stared back with unsympathetic eyes as she slumped to floor.

 _"Ahoska!"_ Luke yelped as suddenly his master slumped to the floor. He shook her, hoping that she would wake. When she did, she had the face of death, pale and utterly devoid of color. She looked up at him, wondering beyond hope if her dream had truly been real. Yet before her was not the being of malice, but the good and faithful son of Skywalker.

All of which made her all the more cold.

 _"Are you okay?"_

 _"We can't Luke,"_ she whispered gravely, _"if we go to him, he'll take you. He wants you to go to him. He wants you."_

 _"I know,"_ Luke replied solemnly, _"but if I don't, he'll kill them."_

 _"I don't want to lose you,"_ she pleaded, _"I don't want to lose you like I lost your father."_

He shook his head.

 _"I have to, master. You know I have to."_

She knew there was no point now. He would go to his death or his corruption, willingly. So very much like his father, willing to pay the ultimate price for those he loved. There was nothing she could do, nothing she could say that would stop him from his suicidal venture. Nothing, save insure he didn't go alone.

 _"Well,"_ she replied with a smile, _"what are we waiting for then?"_

He smiled slightly.

 _"One last adventure?"_

 _"Why not?"_

He helped to her feet and the two took off at a run. Minutes later, they found the hangar doors wide open. They could feel the darkness inside, the oppressive tyranny that radiated like an intense heat. They could feel the fear, the cold colder than even the snow outside. It hit them well and truly centered, enough for dread to settle in their bones.

Master and apprentice look one last time to each other before they stepped inside. The fear enveloped like the very fog in Ahsoka's nightmare. She shivered slightly, allowing her senses to peer through the hangar. Then she stopped cold as another presence met hers and drove it back to origin.

 _"He's here,"_ she whispered. Then they heard it. They turned slowly, the respirated breath echoing loud and menacingly off the walls to extinguish any other sound. The backdrop of war slid to a mute point. There, hidden as one in the darkness, was the bane of the Jedi. For a long, unspeakable stretch they stared at the other, remaining stoic as the phobus about continued its ominous reign.

Without word or order, the two Jedi took to each other's flanks, Luke on the left and Ahsoka one the right as they drew their sabers. Yet they did not ignite them, not yet. He looked to Ahsoka, then to Luke.

 _"At long last,"_ he broke the silence, simply, _"we have been expecting you."_

They then felt a disturbing intrusion in the Force and they spun about. A foreboding figure dropped from the ceiling and with a simple expression of the hand, the hangar closed shut. Ahsoka pressed her psyche to the unknown presence, wondering who this assassin was. Then she had her answer.

 _"You,"_ Ahsoka growled coldly, _"you survived."_

From behind his mask, Starkiller leered as he felt her suppressed horror. He drew himself forward, walking the distance until he was perhaps less than a dozen paces from the Jedi. He then drew a scarlet saber and pointed its blade right at the Togrutan.

 _"I've been waiting for this day for a long time, witch. My hate for you burned hotter than even Death itself. You will pay for what you did to me."_

 _"You'll have to get through me first!"_ Luke snarled back, dashing to his masters' side, the two drawing back to back. He ignited his father's saber, its blue hued blade standing defiant as he held himself in a combat stance; both hands gripping the handle tightly. He was ready. Starkiller flipped his own bladed reverse gripped, posing his stance like he was going lung at him as he chuckled darkly:

 _"So eager, so brave, so foolish. You will prove to be good sport."_

 _"Come on then if you think you're tough enough."_

 _"Enough."_

Vader's bark silenced the room once more as obediently Starkiller dropped from his boastful approach. He then turned back to Ahsoka, who glared back at him loathefully. He shook his head simply:

 _"We are not here to fight, despite my apprentice's eagerness."_

 _"Funny,"_ Luke yelled back, _"all those men in the hangar would disagree!"_

 _"A necessary price to bring an audience with you two."_

Ahsoka stared hard into the cold devoid eyes of his helm.

 _"What do you want?"_

 _"The Emperor has called for your execution. I am offering an alternative."_

 _"What alternative?"_

 _"The Emperor's reign is failing. Together we can ensure it does."_

 _"You have some nerve,"_ Luke couldn't keep the hatred from his voice as he started towards Vader, _"You killed my father, killed countless innocents and you want us to join you! How dare—"_

Ahsoka held up her arm, blocking Luke from his path as she stared back at Vader. Even through his helmet she could sense his surprise. She only narrowed her eyes, her expression and answer to the unanswered question utterly plain. Then she spoke with an ultimatum:

 _"I gave you my answer. On Malachor. On Lothal. On Kamino. On Corellia. I will never join you, or your Empire."_

 _"You choose death then."_

 _"So be it."_

 _"It does not have to end like this,"_ Vader spoke. Ahsoka's eyes slit narrow as she glared back at him.

 _"Yes it does,"_ she whispered. In a flash, her twin emerald sabers were in hand, and ready to fight, to the death. Vader drew his own blade, its point held steady with both hands. It was utterly inevitable.

 _"As you wish… Jedi."_


	7. Duels of Fate

Chapter Six: Duels of Fate

* * *

In the hanger, the cold air was still yet chilled: a calm before the mighty storm that was to be unleashed. Here, breaths echoes in checked, controlled patterns; eyes were locked onto enemies ahead, ears perked for a sign of engagement. Hands tightened around blades, feet shuffled and settled slightly in the snow and deck platting, muscles slackened and constricted in arctic conditioning. Yet deeper than the physical appearance was the Force. It bounced and tumbled like the call of bats at a hunt: a constant acoustic read of each fighter there.

Luke Skywalker drew himself ready, his blue blade in the Djem-so classic. Like a Samurai of old, his hands supported the other as his legs stretched a span apart in a stable stance. Like a wall he would stand; to hold back even the fiercest storm. His eyes locked with the monstrous figure in front of him: like a terror in the night it perched before him, observing with the keenest interest like a hunting bird of prey. Yet more menacing was the aura he felt radiate all around him: the utter fear that he felt chilled him to the bone, to his soul.

It felt utterly unnerving and every tiny, immaculate movement this terror took made him flinch very slightly, but all too obviously. He was a hunter of men. A hunter who'd killed and murder at every beck and call for as long as he could remember so much that he'd grown to revel in it. To revel in the fears of those he stalked, those he took from them the most precious element in the galaxy. This was to a point that no other form, no other joy nor care would satisfy him as much as this single moment.

He crouched low; his scarlet blade held reverse handed as he whipped from spot to spot, very quickly almost to the point of non-observable. He loomed over, his terrifying mask of utter malevolence and the searing hot blade the only things Luke could see. But he held firm, if not unworried. He rose then, pacing very slightly back and forth as he switched from Luke's left then right flank.

It would appear to some that he was looking for better positioning; analyzing Luke's defense. While they would be correct in such an assumption, the posture was double edged. Starkiller ensured that his right side was very visible to the young warrior: so that he could see the trophies of better men and women that he'd killed over the years. Their lightsabers hung from his hip, and in this moment he pressed his advantage when he saw the look of horror and contemplated doom on Luke's face. Through the Force, Luke witnessed their deaths; their screams, their anguish, their pain as their betrayer, they're hunter, they're destroyer with motions silenced them.

It was his method. In a hunt, he ensured that fear, surprise, and intimidation were always on his side. He would unnerve his enemy before engaging: watch them stumble; watch them fumble in fear like a babe in the dark. And with utter contemptible effort, dispatch them with ease. He'd slain experienced warriors this way, better fighters than him.

But here, he encountered a source of reserved faith and strength within his mark. With slit eyes, he did not budge. He did not cower. He hardened. He stood his ground with renewed perseverance.

He'd faced brave men. He'd killed them too. But Luke was more than just brave. Yes there was fear, he could sense it; but it was controlled with an iron will and hidden far away within a protected psyche. Standing in his path instead was a confidence: a confidence not within himself but…

Within his master. He understood now. So long as master and student were together, he would never buckle; never show an ounce of fear. Darth Vader felt this discovery within his apprentice. Without proper thought, coordination or even contact: a plan formulated between them.

Separate the pair, and dispatch them individually. But then Vader's gaze were suddenly seized by an unknown power and brought back to his mission, his objective, standing before him. With blades of emerald brilliance, held fore and aft of left and right hands respectfully, Ahsoka Tano perched defiantly. Within the startling, wide blue eyes; once a time innocent and full of hope for a future never to be: were cold. Cemented with purpose.

Her psyche was like a fortress: unbreakable, uncrackable and impervious to infiltration. The pair had fought before, but this time the Dark Lord of Sith knew that it would not be an easy bout. She was determined. And when he looked to the young man standing at her back he was seized again and brought back to her. There he met wrathful, unforgiving eyes that refused to yield even an inch.

There was strength to her that he'd never felt before: a bond of will between the master and student. A strength that once a time immemorial she'd felt for himself, and him for her. He understood. She would die before she'd let him take Luke. This was going to be a hard fight and harder still considering that he wanted to take her alive.

In the Force, Ahsoka felt for Luke and he reached back. In emotions hidden from even the prying clutches of the two Sith warriors, they sought harmony with the other. In communication personal in meaning, their course and path were made as one. They would fight together. Stand by the other not as two, but as one.

 _Be my strength, Luke,_ she thought to him, _guard my back._

 _And guard mine._

Suddenly, Starkiller lunged, his red searing blade aimed for the young man's shoulder. But he was stopped in his tracts by a near impossible strength and one that was mounting! Blue contacted scarlet in an explosion of sparks and heat! With a roar, Luke threw him back with a single powered push, sending him a half dozen paces flying before he slowed his inertia to a crawl. Then Vader was upon Ahsoka, striking forth with a stab aimed for the groin before being slapped away by her right blade while the left swung down in a counter attack. Vader stepped left dodging the strike before making a cleave for her shoulder.

Then his blade hit another saber: a blue one. As Skywalker stood firm with upward guard, holding him at bay, Ahsoka swung round to protect his flank. Starkiller moved like lightning in the brief seconds of the shifting guard, swooping from above to try and get between the two. But instead of hitting the ground, he hit Ahsoka's blades. They were raised in an upward X pattern, first holding him almost motionless in his summersault before he was thrown over her, landing with cat like finesse before throwing himself forward again.

He swung wildly, but she kept up easily, using one blade to swath off his strikes while she countered with the other. He ducked low, but she then sung with her right, taking a step forward as she did and then swung left before slashing both together in a motion that would have cut him down across the middle. He leapt back, reassessing his opponent as Ahsoka backtrotted to cover Luke. As this happened, Vader stepped back from the blade-lock to launch hacking strikes of immaculate power designed to chop the younger Skywalker to pieces. Yet he was utterly startled when Luke responded with his own defense, blocking each blow with measured strength almost rivaling Vader's before he responded with a counter stab aimed for his chest.

Vader did not retreat; instead he batted the strike away before swinging round from above. Again Luke blocked, but this time redirected Vader's strike in a J movement, exposing his left flank. Luke swung at it. Vader blocked, then countered with another cleave. Luke blocked then countered with a jab to his lower leg.

Yet instead of continuing the stalemated cycle, he simply stepped back. He'd expected Luke to carry on his attack; thus over extending himself and separating him from Ahsoka, but he didn't. He retracted back instead to guard his master's back. From behind the mask, Vader smiled. The boy was talented and knew how to play to his strengths.

But it was no surprise. He'd learned from the best one could hope for. He would not be able to lure him away with simple tricks.

 _"_ _You have learned much, young one."_

 _"_ _You'll find I'm full of surprises."_

Then Luke struck forward, hacking away at Vader's practiced guard. Now Starkiller was on the move, reaching his hand forward in a gesture of power and lightning shot from his fingertips. Ahsoka was caught off guard but instinctively raised both sabers to block the blinding wave of crackling energy. For precious seconds he threw the electrical onslaught; then he was in the air: aimed for Luke's back. Ahsoka leapt after him, swinging crossway at Starkiller before bringing them both to ground.

Starkiller growled harshly as he landed. He was growing tired of this game. Then Ahsoka smirked at him:

 _"_ _What's the matter, Galen? Afraid to lose again?"_

With a blood curdling scream he lunged, striking madly with an unpredictable arsenal of swings, jabs and cleaves at every possible angle. But Ahsoka kept up a steady defense, constantly parry and guarding blow after blow; allowing his onslaught to drive her step after step until she was once again secure in her padawan's flank. Now she threw her own offensive: her twin blades slashing and hacking in upper and lower figure eight's. Luke now was put on the defensive, with Vader striking back and forth hither and thither; attempting to wear down the younger man's endurance. But like a stone wall; Luke just kept taking the blows and countering with quick stabs or slashes before going on guard.

Starkiller and Ahsoka were driving one another back and forth; step by step Starkiller would advance and hack away back and forehand in near blinding waves of fiery plasma before the Togrutan would counter with her own fast paced strikes. Then the assassin unleashed a full blast of raw electrical bolts that smashed into Ahsoka's upheld guard. She gritted her teeth as the kinetic power began to drive her back; her boots digging into snow. So blinding and bright the crackle of discharged became her eyes were closed shut; the luminosity burning hot against her gloved hands. Feeling her anguish: Luke guarded another strike from Vader before he thrust his bade forth; forcing Vader to withdraw a pace. Then he spun, swinging around his master and slashing across the great torrents of crackling vivacity.

In sync, Ahsoka took up his quarter, dodging back and forth as Vader lashed out at her with sweeping blows that would've dissected a slower opponent. She then came up; her twin blades locking Vader's in a cross-guard that allowed her in a smooth, calculated movement to throw his saber upward. As this happened; she then round housed his helm with a kick that sent his head spinning and his body with it. Before he could recover; she swept his leg and he hit the ground with a crash. Now she was upon him stabbing madly as he rolled to the side; her blades poking holes into the floor and evaporated steam hissing from the remains. He only had time to get to a knee before she charged him; slamming both blades into Vader's one-handed guard with such ferocity that sparks flew and discharged plasma exploded from the impact and were sent flying in all directions: singeing any fabric they came into contact with.

Vader was utterly astonished by her raw strength; feeling his own challenged and somehow even taxed to the point he had draw his second hand to support his grip. She'd become far more powerful then she'd been on Kamino. His confidence of an easy bout waned to the point of almost nonexistent.

 _"_ _Impressive,"_ he complimented through strained breath, _"_ _Most impressive."_

 _"_ _I'm glad you noticed,"_ she snarled back through clenched teeth. Memories of that night five years prior flowed through her. The pain of friends and dear ones fueled her; their screams drove her onward in a demand for vengeance, for justice. They stimulated her strength: adding fuel to an ever burning fire that threatened to consume her. But it also blinded her to a simple truth: she could never hope to match him in this one sided foray and her opponent knew this all too well.

 _"_ _You still have much to learn,"_ Vader shook his head, disappointment heavy in his voice as he started to rise. She applied more pressure; desperately trying to keep him on his knees as she snarled back:

 _"_ _You have nothing left to teach me!"_

 _"_ _You are mistaken."_

Now he loomed over her; using his superior strength to angle his blade until he was starting to have her on **her** knees. Ahsoka despairingly tried to hold him back but she simply could not match him. Now the crimson colored saber was just inches from her face; her emerald blades cross sectioned just below just barely able to keep it at bay. Fighting the panic that was starting to boil I her guts; she swiped both of her sabers up in an X pattern and tossing the Dark Lord's weapon away for a precious few seconds to allow her to disengage. She rolled backwards, dodging his thrusts and slashes by mere inches. However when she recovered; pain shot from her thigh and she clutched woefully at the flesh wound.

But as he approached like some demented demon from a child's nightmare; she pushed the pain far from mind and drew back into her combat stance. A short distance away; Luke fought with every bit of fiber he had as his blade buckled under Starkiller's electrical barrage. He stood firm, but it took everything **just** to stand firm. Then suddenly he felt a disturbance in the Force and he ducked just in time as metal shards and stones just barely grazed his scalp. But then he felt an impact to his ribs; cold steel hands grabbing at his organs and he drop to one knee.

Then another stone hit from opposite side to his shoulder and almost knocked him over. Then more of the debris found their mark; on his legs, his arms and across his neck. Luke was barely able to keep the Force Lightning from blasting through his blade so he had no time nor energy or concentration to dodge the flying missiles or deflecting them with his telekinesis. He had just sit there and take it, and by the time it was over half his body was numb; blood from a dozen wounds soaking into his flight suit. From across from him, the assassin laughed mockingly; a cold metallic cackle that sounded a might bit deranged:

 _"_ _I thought you'd put up more of a fight."_

 _"_ _I still got plenty left for you!"_

As the exchange went, Luke had spotted a large deck plate exposed from the snow and one that Starkiller was standing on; who'd been too preoccupied with joyfully battering him to notice. With outstretched fingers, Luke gripped it with the Force and then swiped it from the floor; throwing his torture to the floor. Now at last able to stand; Luke gripped the deck plating and began to spin it like a saw; building speed until at last he fired it off like a rocket. With an inconceivable reaction time; the Sith Assassin raised his blade and deck plate chopped in two: the remnants flying off in either direction. But when he looked up Luke Skywalker was upon him: knocking him to his back with a single powerful strike before delivering a kick to the stomach that sent him rolling away.

He came up; blocking an ensemble of blows as Skywalker tried to cut him to ribbons. He slid into his standard Seresu form; using the smallest amount of movement to defend himself from incoming strikes in tight, controlled patterns. Luke almost immediately recognized the Third Form: remembering the brief lessons Ben had given him in the style on the Falcon years earlier. He'd incorporated elements of it into his defensive blade work so he understood its strengths but also its weaknesses. It relied on very tight, conservative movements to redirect incoming blows with the minimalistic amounts of energies.

Effective yes, but it lacked true kinetic power and was also taxing against very fast paced strikes. So Luke switched up his attack: instead of just attempting to bludgeon his way through with his preferred Djem-So he would use the fast and side-swiping bushwhacks of the Fourth Form: Ataru. The many lessons Ahsoka had drilled into him about the style now played out as he began unleashing a barrage of fast paced, over arching swipes that hit the Assassin from every corner; swiping from flank to flank looking for weaknesses. Yet this was exactly what Starkiller wanted. Observing Luke's style when fighting his master combined with his own engagement with Ahsoka had led him to a fairly logical conclusion: Skywalker would have at least a decent understanding of four of five of the first Forms of Lightsaber combat, all built around his preferred Djem-So.

He'd seen influences of Seresu in his defense and Ataru in his offense. But he noted there was not a trace of Makashi: the precise fencing form in either. He bludgeoned, swiped or did mixtures of both. But never did he tried to precisely stab and cut through his opponents defenses; instead trying to overpower or outmaneuver it, just as he was doing here. While he certainly had the strength and endurance to easily master Djem-So, he just wasn't nearly as fast or as agile as he'd need to be to properly use Ataru.

So he took full advantage of this. As Luke would swing at him: he would tag him with a kick or a punch; causing him to withdraw before he'd move in again. Then he'd stab at specific points; throwing Luke off his rhythm and frustrating the boy. Luke began applying more strength into his blows; practically slamming the Assassin back forth with the inertia of his swipes. Then Starkiller struck; swinging his blade upward from the hip and leaving a long scar across Luke's cheek.

He recoiled in pain, but then he was dragged right back in as the assassin grabbed him by his saber handle and then slammed his knee into in his gut. He dropped to the floor; the breath knocked right out of him as liquid fire boiled through his groin and chest.

 _"_ _All too easy,"_ he chuckled as he raised his blade for a finishing strike.

 _"_ _No!"_ Ahsoka screamed. She spun on her heel and tossed one of her sabers like a boomerang. It collided with Starkiller's; staggering him just enough for Luke to recover and return the favor. With a growl he smashed his saber into his attacker's helm: a shower of sparks flying as he was double over; smoke billowing from the rending blow. On the floor; Luke had the man, the monster at his mercy: his blade a mere thrust away from his throat. Through the black crystal visor; cold respecting eyes stared up at him as he chuckled darkly:

 _"_ _I underestimated you."_

Luke felt a voice in his head. It sounded familiar but he couldn't place it. It was frosty and seductive, a whisper ever so corruptive in its understanding of your soul that one could mistake it for your own. It called upon him to finish it, to strike down this source of evil and embrace the power he'd so long denied himself. To take upon him the ever so generous gifts that would enable him to save those he loved, those he cared for, to avenge the dead men that choked this frozen upturned Hell that died for the ambition of sick old cravens.

It promised him everything he wanted, and that was what scared him so much. The voice of Han Solo came to mind; a piece of advice free of charge a simple lifetime ago:

 _"_ _Kid, if something's too good to be true, it is. I've shaken hands with enough devils in padded palaces to know they'll snake you in the end just for the hell of it."_

But then the voice countered. It showed him his worst fears, old and new. He saw before him the charred remains of his aunt and uncle, the slashed robes of Ben Kenobi, the death sorrows of Biggs Darklighter, the betrayal of Janek Sunber. Now it presented him a future he dreaded. Han, Leia and Chewie dead at his feet, their bodies' mere shadows of the spark they'd once held. Then he heard a lightsaber activate. He looked up to see his master on her knees, sadness utterly enveloping her once beautiful eyes:

 _"_ _I'm sorry Luke."_

Then a lightsaber punctured through her chest. She screamed and then slumped to the floor, as cold as the ground they stood on. His own blade flew like the greased lightning of some long gone deity, and to his utter shock actually made contact with another saber. The fog of doubt cleared and he was in a blade lock with Starkiller. Through a strained chuckle, Starkiller twisted the knife:

 _"_ _Your memories are a messy place."_

Luke's eyes flamed with uncontrollable anger. All sense of reason or control went out the window. He bashed and slashed at as much the air as he did his target. The world around him to seemed to shake and contort to the very radiance of his rage.

 _"_ _Ha ha ha, very good,"_ Starkiller chortled, the seething mockery of it driving him even further on, _"_ _yes, give into your anger, give into your hate. With them, you can destroy me. That is what you want, isn't it?"_

Across the room, Ahsoka danced and twirled about, leaping from cargo containers, ship supports and pillars as Vader hacked at her, only to come short of even her shadow. She dived and zigzagged, stabbing and slashing as she moved. Vader guarded his exposed flanks with the swirl and pattern of his crimson bladework, but missing his mark every time he'd strike back. It was like he was fighting a ghost; somehow always out of reach. Ahsoka landed cat-like, her fingers drawing direction in the Force and suddenly a series of containers went flying at break neck speed.

Vader spun and slashed apart the first that came, then the second and a third, but the forth shot through his bulwark and slammed into his helm. He stumbled, but did not fall; his senses suddenly coming alive as with the flow of the air Ahsoka came swinging at him. She hacked and slashed, stabbed and prodded; each blow indistinguishable from the next. A cloud of emerald flung left and right, only interrupted by a shower of sparks as her blade's met his. But he struggled against her onslaught; barely contacting in time before another saber was on him: moving to catch each with the barest amount of strength.

Yet it was utterly inevitable that he couldn't hold her at bay forever. With the sound of rending metal, she slashed across his middle; leaving a long gash that burned through both flesh and cybernetics. Yet before he could even conceive the pain from the wound, she struck him again: this up and over the shoulder. His armor saved him this time; withstanding most of the kinetic force. But as she swung from her second consecutive mark, she would make a final tally.

She swung left: across the helm. Sparks exploded as it burned through metal and flesh; his mechanized scream punctuating it's ferocity as he fell back to his knee. Now she moved in for a killing blow, knocking away his attempted guard. But this time Vader was ready for her. With an extended hand; he gripped a shipment of metallic medical packs, perhaps no more than a handspan in length, and with a crack of his arm he sent them all at her.

Her eyes went wide, but her body went on auto pilot. She ducked and dodged, somersaulting in air; her blade cutting through that came to close. But as she hit the ground; one smashed into her forehead. Stunned, she barely felt the next that hit her to the ribs, or across the legs. Yet the final tag was one that smacked her center mass, throwing her to the floor.

Vader rose, but then searing pain shot through his chest like a hot knife and he winced. Instinctually, his hand went to the source of angst. But then he froze. There, his gloved fingers felt something, something that he hadn't felt… in years. Lethargically, with a shaking limp, his hand returned.

Blood.

 _"_ _I've forgotten how you felt,"_ he whispered softly. With adagio, the pain faded to a dull numb; but then his hearing picked up another noise. He looked down to see blood imbedded in the snow at his feet, his hand feeling more on his robes. Then he heard a groan and saw Ahsoka Tano rising from the snow, her hands nursing at stinging wounds and gashes across her forehead. Then she looked up to see him, shaking slightly at the knees, and the running drip of his life flowing from him.

She should've felt satisfaction at this. Glee at having wounded him at least. But she didn't. She felt melancholy; woe at his bother. She didn't understand why, she couldn't understand why.

 _You still love him, snips,_ the voice returned, icy in its malice as it scolded her, _despite all the misery he's caused you, despite the graveyards he's filled hunting you and those you cared for, you still think you can save him._

 _"_ _No,"_ she whispered in utter despair.

 _You're still the poor, pathetic little orphan that Master Koon found… all lost and alone._

 _"_ _I'm not alone."_

 _You are. You will always be alone. You always lose everything you care for. Because in the end, you don't have the heart to do what is needed to be done._

Her hands gripped tighter her blades, but her eyes became resign. A sorrow dug deep borrow in her beating heart. Vader stared long at her confused visage, his hand gripping the long burn; his shoulders slumping and his breath becoming heavy. Then with a simple movement, his saber went to the wound.

The burning of his flesh smothered through even his filter, the blaze upon his nerves shocking him steadily but he refused to give into it and he held in his scream. Yet it did not stop the memory from slithering through him. The heat on Mustafar, the lava crawling up his back, his hate gazing out at the man he'd once called brother now turned back on him and marched up the smoldering hillside. He felt the guilt, the hopelessness, the hatred of himself envelop him as much as the fire. Like water it drowned him in its venom, dragging him further and further into a bleakness he knew suited him well.

Ahsoka's confusion turned horror as she glimpsed these dreams of woe. Saw at plain value the consumption of his soul, and anything once a man she'd known and loved. She felt their corrupting tendrils reach out at her and attempt to drag her with him, but she broke free. With a hardening glare, she rose; her blades held taught fore and end, her shoulders low as she eased into a rhythmic respiration that turned white in the cold air.

 _"_ _I will not become like_ _ **him**_ _."_

 _Then you will lose everything._

 _"_ _No,"_ she smiled softly, _"_ _I won't."_

Vader withdrew the saber and brought it forth; held by both hands and his back drooping to extend his blade further forth as its point lay melting into the snow: steam rising from the impression it made. For a length, the only sounds were their inpace exhalations; their watch fixed upon the others many micro-movements. Their stoic posture held firm as stone as they waited for the other to make the first critical move. Even the air itself was too petrified to move like it was held at strangle point. Yet like descending crescendos shattering; even the sound of silence must break.

 _"_ _You are strong Skywalker, but only your hatred will give you the power to save your master. Give into the Dark Side!"_

This was punctuated by the scarlet flash and the long searing burn that wound its way through his shoulder. Luke fought through the pain; a growling hiss passing his gritted teeth as he swung hard and long. His anger gave him strength, his rage ferocity; his blows hitting home and driving him further into the ground with every consecutive hit. Yet it did not give him the clairvoyance to avoid the chopping strike to his shin, or the kick to the chin that double him over. Pain became an abstract presence as like a wild animal he threw himself again at the instigator of all of his adversity; his eyes became feral with enmity: the glazing sea of red starting to choke his vision and his sanity away.

He was slipping further and further into madness and to this as Starkiller dodged another strike that took out a wall; he laughed. He had his father's rage, but not his control. It was all too easy to gaud him, he just had to prod him in the right place. Just as easy as it was to swing under his sword arm; delivering an elbow to the chin, a kick to the groin, a chop to the shoulders. Before long he grabbed him by his arm and threw him over his shoulder; the impact of his body sending tremors into the ground.

Yet even then the boy still had the fortitude to keep getting back up. It marveled the assassin, even on the verge of respect. He wouldn't give up; not even when he hit Luke with a dose of lightning. He just fought through the pain until he knocked Starkiller down again with a power strike across the helm; leaving another scar to add visage to him. Luke raised his blade for another kill strike, but Starkiller beat him to the literal punch by throwing a crate into him.

On the floor, Starkiller then delivered a vicious kick that sent Luke crashing into a wall; the blow cracking it and throwing him into darkness. But then he heard a blood curdling roar and Starkiller turned to find Ahsoka's boot in his face. He flew back from the impact, but before he could even recover she grabbed him with the Force and proceeded to toss him across the room. He hit the top of the cave wall first; splintering off a body size hole before falling into more unpack shipments with a loud _crash._ With panic in her eyes, Ahsoka ran to her apprentice's side.

 _"_ _Luke please,"_ she shifted into the Force and their found his spark still beating strong. With a caress of his battered face, his blue eyes opened; weak at first. His vision was blurry; a hazy constructed of grays and reds that clouded his way. He reached out, finding his master there who cradled him gently. His sight returned at the sight of her, but when he looked past her they went wide.

 _"_ _Behind you!"_ he warned weakly. Ahsoka spun and Vader was literally gliding towards her; blade in hand and his long cloak flowing behind: giving him the terrifying presence of a nightmarish bat in flight. Then he broke off the glide into a leap; his weapon held in both hands coming down the like the wrath of a guillotine. She ignited her sabers and Vader smashed into her guard with such force it slammed her to a bow. She fought back with all of her strength but could only manage to keep him from chopping her in two.

Luke stumbled to his feet, ignited his saber as he did. Then suddenly he was thrown against the wall and an insurmountable impetus kept him there. He struggled against it; breaking free just barely only to be slammed again into the wall. Without breaking his concentration; Vader spoke directly to him:

 _"_ _The Force is with you, young Skywalker,"_ he then turned his head to him, and in this moment Luke felt utterly terrified of him, _"_ _but you are no Jedi."_

 _"_ _I—"Luke_ growled against the invisible weight smothering him, _"_ _I am more a Jedi than you ever were."_

 _"_ _Is this so?"_ Vader replied acerbic, his gaze fixating on Ahsoka's equally measured constipated and transfixed face, _"_ _Then you are gravely mistaken. There are a great many things you have not been told."_

 _"_ _That you sold out the order!?"_ Luke snarled, _"_ _That you betrayed my father!? What did the Empire offer you that you would turn on your own family!?"_

Vader was stunned, but it did not surprise him. He stared at the boy, at this man bearing his name but knowing not the truth of it. Knowing not the truth about **him**. Looking at him reminded him of… **her.** Reminded him of the source of his hate, but also of his mission; here and now.

At a length he gave him the honest truth:

 _"_ _They offered me the power to save those I loved."_

That revelation shocked Luke. For what he saw before him wasn't a man. **It** wasn't capable of love; **it** was an instrument of terror and plight. But yet here he felt pain: utter pain; the kind he'd felt when all that he'd known and loved were taken from him one by one. And from this Luke felt that once a time he was but a man, not a monster… just like him.

In horror, Luke asked himself if **any man** could become **this**. If he himself could become like **him.** He found himself staring out at nothing; at emptiness. He felt drained, he felt weak. He felt the assassin's words turned cold in his blood; that he would lose everything he cared for because he wasn't willing to become what he needed to become.

He felt the voice again. Felt it tug at his soul, at his mind. It reminded him what he could accomplish; offered him the power he craved: the power he **needed**. All it asked was for him to take that one metaphorical step forward, and dive into the darkness. Let it wash over him; let it fill him with its swirls and twists.

And upon the shore on the far side rise a stronger man.

 _They are weak… terrified of the power that you alone are strong enough to wield. It is yours… yours for the taking._

Luke stirred; his mind buckled under the influence. He could do it. He could take this power for himself. With it, he could strike down this evil who had hunted him for over four years. He could save them all, he could save **her.**

But that is when their eyes met. He found in them the sanguineous allure that was now muddled by fear. Fear… of him. Fear of what he could become. If he went down into that place, if he gave in to the temptation… he would never come back.

 _You're a fool, Skywalker. Do you think that morality will save you? Or her? Or them?_

 _"_ _It doesn't matter what I think,"_ Luke shot back, _"_ _What matters… is what's right."_

 _Right and wrong are nothing more than points of view. What matters is power and who wields it._

 _"_ _No,"_ Luke replied, _"_ _what matters… are the ones I care for. And they wouldn't want me to become_ _ **that**_ _."_

 _Even at the cost of their lives?_

 _"_ _I won't sell my soul for empty promises. I've made it this far without giving in to_ _ **you.**_ _I'll find a way. I will always find a way."_

 _You will regret your decision, Luke Skywalker. And when you do, I will be here. I will_ _ **always**_ _be here._

 _"_ _Begone."_

The voice was gone; with it the furor departed and for once clarity in the world. He felt the feelings of kinship and ardency before him; from the family that had grown all around him and had become part of his very being. With these, he drew strength. Not from indignation, or vendetta, neither from torment nor sorrow… but from endearment. The many memories of contentment, of merriment, for those he loved; drew him onward.

He started to move; started to pierce through the wall of might. Every step forward was like the advancement up the steepest mountain, through the fierce storm. All poised to sweep him far away. But he refused to yield, refused to budge. He would not fail here, he would not fail them, and he would not fail her!

Vader drew power to hold back this rising tide. But no matter how much he put forth; Luke would only dig his heels in and keep moving forward. His concentration became strained; his strength wane. Then he felt his guard being nudged bit by bit upward as Ahsoka rose from her knees. Soon she had **him** on guard.

He withdrew, the wall coming down as together master and student struck. Luke swung overhead, cutting across Vader's defense as Ahsoka flipped up over him; coming up on his rear. Vader spun on his heel. She'd expected to face the staunch wall of Djem-So or the tight patterns of Seresu. Instead he slipped into Makashi; his parries fluid and coming one after the other in connected contacts as he swiped away each of his attackers blows with an incredible grace.

Luke pressed his assault; amping up his strength into each consecutive blow. Vader matched each with a measured strength before he would parry with a quick counter. Ahsoka would move in on his flanks; prodding with quick strikes and swiping with kicks. Vader continued to fall back, step after step as he blocked or evaded each of the incoming hits. Then without warning or gesture he began flinging objects at the pair.

Ahsoka dropped back to cover Luke, using Force or sabers to fend off the projectiles, while her student continued his assault. Luke's plan was to try and get Vader to the main hangar doors where he would have no room to maneuver or retreat. There, Luke could keep him pinned and allow for his master to deliver the killing blow from his occupied quarters. Vader knew all too well what was going to happen. Anytime he would try to swing away or side step into another direction he would encounter Ahsoka; who would force him right back into Luke.

He would be lying though if he said he wasn't impressed by the pair's coordination or skill. Without word or signal they'd executed an effective strategy that **could** potentially beat him. Now he was less than a half dozen steps from the hangar. Luke stepped up his attack; his blows like sledgehammers as Ahsoka prevented any form of escape. Now he had his back to the wall, and he found himself between a literal rock and a moving hard place.

He could defend himself against Luke's hammer blows or Ahsoka's sweeping bushwackers, but not against both. He would parry Luke's blows only to be blindsided by an underhand slash or stab to his legs or arms. He would swipe away Ahsoka's moves only to be smashed by a heavy cleave to his helm or shoulders. He would attempt a tactical use of telekinesis, but this would be offset by Ahsoka's interference while Luke kept him held down. He then threw a great wave of snow into Luke's face, but as he retreated and Vader advanced Ahsoka came swinging through the storm like a wailing banshee and hit him flatfoot with a kick.

To his credit, Vader kept up an incredible display of unmatchable endurance. He took so many blows that his robes were literally burning from the high heat of the plasma scorches. His arms and legs were welted with them to the point the cybernetic structures were exposed and the supporters in his left leg had become unresponsive. And his attackers were not unscathed either. He'd hit Luke in the shoulder and lower arm with a stab and had slashed Ahsoka across the chest, melting her flight suit into the wound and once more across her right thigh.

But in the end, Vader went to one knee as his opponents battered his desperate upheld guard. He kept going for almost twenty more seconds despite taking a hit to his neck and even retaliated with a slash across the Luke's shoulder. But it ultimately came to an end when Ahoska hit his saber underside up, and Luke disarmed him; sending the crimson blade flying across the room. Now the blue colored weapon was just below his chin. To this, Vader couldn't help but smile from behind the mask.

Luke was utterly exasperated. They'd done it. They'd actually done it. They'd managed to beat him. Now what to do with him?

Luke had wanted to kill Vader ever since he'd witnessed Ben cut down. Even more so after learning from Ahsoka and Rex the parents he'd never know: the life he'd never have. He wanted revenge, plain and simple. But now that he had him here, at his mercy…

 _"_ _Darth Vader,"_ Luke answered with an incredibly shaky voice; but his blade nor conviction wavered not, _"_ _by the authority of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, you are under arrest."_

Ahsoka's eyes darted to Luke, and then Vader. Part of her wanted him dead. Part of her wanted to strike him down now, while they had the chance to do so. But the other part reminded her that Vader was more of use to the Rebellion alive. What he knew could help bring the war to a close and his public trial would once and for all show the galaxy that the Emperor's grip on the galaxy **would** be broken.

But there was another reason behind this. Like it or not, Vader **was** Luke's father. If he killed him now… if she allowed him to kill him… it would break whatever good was left in him. If she did the deed herself, there would never be any form of forgiveness. In either situation, she and the rest of the galaxy would lose.

For now, she had to trust in the Force… and in Luke.

 _"_ _On your feet,"_ Ahsoka growled, her blade exemplifying her point. Slowly, painfully, with the protested groans of his badly damaged cybernetics, Vader rose to his one good leg. With the two Jedi on his flanks, their blades still drawn on him, Vader began to limp towards the Falcon. Luke paused a second, and with an extension of his hand grabbed Vader's fallen blade. When it came to hand, it frightened him.

It felt so… natural to his hand. It felt strangely familiar. It felt like… his father's blade. He held them both up together. Vader's weapon was heavier, more bulky.

But there was no denying it. They were the exact same design.

Why?

 _"_ _Luke, c'mon!"_

Luke shook his head, and placed the weapon back onto his belt. He would ask those questions when they were far away from here and **he** was in a holding cell. Across the room, hidden from sight and mind: Starkiller watched. His weapon was held tight, his left hand went for another on his belt. He could take them now; they'd been weakened by Vader's prolonged defense.

He'd take them, give Vader one of his spares, take them together...

 _No._

He shook slight at the beck of Vader's voice in his head. He entered the silent communication.

 _Master, I can't let them take you. If they-_

 _They will never break me, Galen._

 _But the Jedi-_

 _Luke's resolve has been tested. He suspects. I can turn him now, turn him against her. And she still has the same anger she did as a child. I can expose it. Remember what I taught you._

He sighed deeply.

 _Always assume patience._

 _Wait for my call, my Apprentice. Wait for my call._


	8. Fight like Hell

Chapter Seven: Fight like Hell

* * *

Across the desolate battlefield, only the low murmur of the wind stretching across the broken remains of bunkers and trenchlines, fortifications and the presence of living beings now charred and blasted ruins. This perpetrated stillness lay heavy in the minds of the living; the eerie silence following the chaos of war, the utter excess of noise and thunderous reports of a thousand guns screaming indignation to the names of their enemies. Perhaps a time again, it would be broken by the moans of the dying, or the distant reports of some far off last stand. For once the home of thousands now became a land of specters and spirits. Their protracted moans adding further to the woe of the scene.

For across this valley of death was all that Sergeant Cal Maxim and the precious few survivors of Echo Base could bear to see. The air was choked heavy with the oily black plumes of thick musty smoke that ran hundreds of feet into the air from the thousands of blasted craters, meters long and meters deep that now dotted the landscape. Visibility dropped due to it; creating a veil of smog that covered the land in all directions. Cal and his squad had had their helmets set to thermal vision but even this proved ineffective to a heavy point with it perhaps only able to penetrate a scant several yards in any direction. This was not helped either from the ash falling in droves like the storms that ravaged this planet day and night in constant precision.

Everything soon became covered in grays and blacks, where once stark white lay in abundance. Cal rubbed his fingers through the stuff. Even through his gloves he could feel the greasiness of it, and behind the helm he grimaced. Behind him, Corporal Ree Zian tried desperately to wipe the remains of smoldered fat and flesh that covered her worn uniform from head to toe. Yet every time she did, taking great chunks off at a time and leaving her armor even slimmer than before, it would only be replaced by more within seconds.

She started to become frantic, distracted by it despite the present danger of now being behind enemy lines. For what she saw around her was not the world before them but her home. The ravaged world of Ryloth, over two decades ago. She remembered the great fires tearing through her people, villages burning alight, the screams of children lost forever from their families. Everywhere she looked she saw the torn masses of thousands of Twi'lek's all strewed and mashed at her feet, pleading and pulling for her to join them. Little did she realize how real the nightmare was when she fell into the trench.

The temperatures to which blaster fire burns can range from hundreds to even thousands to degrees. As such, much of the outer layer of the recent snowfall had melted to create great mud piles that came up in places to their knees. And in the trench, Zian screamed in her helmet as she floundered in the deep mud; the sticky ooze pulling her deeper and deeper. She fought to escape, grabbing onto anything to escape her nightmare; to run from the horrors that befell her. She had a faint understanding of voices in her ears; that her comrades were calling out to her, moving with haste to save her, but there in that moment of perpetuated terror was no longer Corporal Ree Zian: Rebel Commando and a battlehardened warrior.

No, here and now she was little Zee. The scared little girl lost and confused amongst the smoke and billows. With tears in her eyes, and the growing weakness of having wandered for days on end; she called out to her father, to her mother, to anyone who could hear her. She fell deeper into the mud; now almost entirely consuming her whole like a starved beast. Almost crazed, her hands clawed at the sides of trench, eventually finding something to pull her up.

When her head cleared and the mud slipped just enough from her helm; she saw what had saved her. The bodies of the men who drowned in the river of blood and mire. Imperials and Rebels alike who'd died fighting one another in the desperate struggles only to sink deeper and deeper in the melted ground; the masses of the further dead landing atop of each other and burying them beyond hope until at last their breath gave way as did their lives. Their drained and grayed corpses were made filthy and gaunt, some crushed to constriction by the weight of the dead or perhaps even blackened smolders from the blaster fire; all were utterly terrifying. Zian's nightmare was no longer a mere element of dream and memory but now her entire reality.

Any sense of control was lost as she frantically tried to pull herself out only just to be dragged further back in, her long barreled sniper rifle dragging at the sides the only thing keeping her from going under. Then she felt strong hands grab her by the back of her equipment harness and starting to pull her from the torrent.

" _Jeez_ _love, yer heav'r than you look. Alright, I've got her. Pull me up!"_

" _What? Scared of a little mud bath, eh big br'ther?"_

" _Drop me an' I'll drag you with me!"_

The conversation was lost on the terrified Twi'lek. No her mind was trapped with the shatter memories of a childhood that haunted her every haggard night. She didn't even feel the arduous climb to the surface, or her being plopped onto the ground and not even the cries of her comrades. Staying low to the ground with every available body capable of holding a weapon forming into a defensive circle; Cal called to his squadmate, shaking her by the shoulders. But even with him bellowing in his mike, she didn't even stir a shiver, her head bending and her body curling into a ball.

" _Blast, she's going into shock. Davos—"_

" _Stand aside, Sergeant,"_ the hard as stone Durosian medic spoke like the grinding of compressed steel as he brushed past the squad leader. Cal immediately took up position, his back turned on the pair with his E-11 raised as the Durosian yanked her to her knees.

" _Dope her? Try to stir her?"_

" _No,"_ he said simply, _"I'm a traditionalist."_

With that, he wretched the Twi'lek's helmet away and with a twist of his arm proceeded to slap her across the face with such force that the impact echoed like the percussion of a war drum throughout the ruined battlefield. It sent Zian ringing and she collapsed onto the floor, clutching her jaw and her eyes going wide. Davos however grabbed her by the neck and wrenched her back up to face him. Zian looked upon him with hurt and confusion, but Davos's eyes were hard as slate; devoid of any sympathy as he spoke softly:

" _I don't care what horrors you've seen, girl. You will bury them here. You will bury them deep. Or I will toss you back into that trench myself."_

" _I—"_

" _Do not speak. Only listen. Only look,"_ he pointed to the back of the colomn, to the men being carried by stretchers or by the shoulders of their comrades, _"They will die if we are not quick enough. They will join the nightmare you see. So tell me: do you wish them to? Do you?"_

Panting softly, her eyes darting to Cal, Marne and Dare before returning to the cold black eyes before her; she shook her head softly. It was the only thing she could do.

" _Good. Now pick up your weapon. Pick up your armor. And get back in line."_

With that, the tall bulbous alien rose to his feet, replacing his helmet and shouldered his weapon; moving to the back of the column and back to his charge. As he did, he muttered softly:

" _There are others of more urgent care than your fragile nerves. Do not make me come to your aid again. Or you will pay for it."_

She watched him go, her breath withdrawn and heart wrenched. He hadn't even raised his voice in anger. He'd spoken with a conviction, a malice that made her even colder than she already was. But it was his eyes that made her blood run the coldest. They were sincere in their promise.

All these years, and no one, not even their commander who lay dying with his guts filling with their acidic juices truly knew this man. But she had no doubt that if she fell out of pace; he would gladly leave her behind to die.

" _No time to stew, Zian."_

She looked up to see Cal standing over like a harbinger of death, drowning her in his long shadow.

" _C'mon, on your feet. We ain't done yet. And I need you."_

She nodded simply, taking his outstretched hand as he pulled her to her feet. Without another word, she retrieved her gear, wiped the mud from her visor, and fell back into the patrol. Into the shadow of the valley of death, they ventured further.

* * *

Exactly twenty two minutes prior and shy of a kilometer back; Sergeant Maxim and First Lieutenant Zsaz Mentz of the 51st Armored Mobile Artillery Battalion peered from behind the cover of a long stretching plateau upon the carnage far below and wide. To this, the heavily bearded man chuckled wryly:

" _Care to admit, these boys should consider a job in bulldozin'. Seem to be pretty good at that. Probably could flatten Imperial Center in matter of hours. Make it nice and flat and Maker-damn fine and dandy."_

' _Yeah'_ was all that Cal could mutter back. He had no words for what he saw below. The unstoppable war machine simply rolling over and crushing everything too stupid or too stubborn to move out of its way. He'd been here before. He'd been the one to do it. And he felt too crushed to laugh at the cruel irony of now being on the receiving end.

But he shook his head bitterly. No, he could afford to be scared. Not here and not now. Not when he had a band of dispirited soldiers, two men too broken to walk at all, and his boss just barely holding by a sliver and a stubborn Durosian Medic to care for. He needed to be strong for them, believe they could fight and win **for them** , and escape this hellhole all together.

But Mentz, having fought for most of his life, saw through his charade.

" _It's okay to be scared, Sergeant."_

" _Not right now it isn't."_

" _Bully."_

Cal looked at him, and he just shook his head.

" _If you ain't scared, yer either crazy or yer deader than this blasted planet. Don't banish it. Use it."_

" _Fear doesn't do anything but get you killed."_

" _Bully again. Its fear that's gonna keep you alive, keep your men alive. Fear that'll make you think, not make you do something stupid. So think, Commando. How you gonna get them outta this?"_

" _Me?"_

" _I'm just a tank commander. I ain't capable of getting us outta this… but you are. So, how you gonna do it?"_

Cal turned to stare at the men and women in his charge. Zian was on overwatch, Marne and Dare were checking each other's explosives, Davos was cradling Barker and constantly checking his pulse and respiratory. The others, part of Mentz's tank crew or the scattered survivors of the other destroyed artillery columns were paired off carrying stretchers for their two wounded comrades. One man's leg had been utterly crushed by the weight of his vehicle and the ruins of it had been tied off just above the knee with a clamped and bloodied tourniquet. He was on a constant IV line of dope meds keeping him in a smiling stupor.

The other had broken his back. Three vertebrae splintered and arched heavily into his spine. He couldn't feel any pain because he couldn't even feel anything below his sternum. Both men were likely to be crippled for the rest of their lives. Maybe the other man might get a cybernetic, but those were few and far between.

Regardless, they were alive. And he had to keep them that way. No one else, but him. He checked his chrome, and tried one more time to reach anybody from Echo Base on his comm. but it was utterly pointless. The Imperials had long since taken measures to ensure their communications were jammed.

However, he knew that Transport Five was still being loaded and readied for takeoff. While they would hurry with Imperial Assault teams beginning their infiltration, he also knew that even a handful of men could hold the outer defenses of the base for a good long while. That would give them time. At his guess, maybe forty minutes. He took out his specs and began a long recon over the shattered battlefield.

" _What are you looking for?"_

" _An auxiliary back entrance for an emergency evac. It's hidden, so the Imps wouldn't have found it unless they knew what they were looking for… Wait, there it is."_

He then handed them over to Mentz. Cal pointed over to the shadow of a high cliffface with a series of low hills below it. He nodded once, but then shook his head:

" _That's easily a couple of klicks away. And I'm assuming you noticed the big reception party wait for us down there."_

He nodded. While the bulk of the Imperial forces were farther north mopping up defenders along the reserve trenchline protecting the main hangar under the shadow of the destroyed shield generator; they still had left a substantial force in reserve standing between them and their way of this world. Peering down through the smoke and ruin; Cal guessed from past experience there would be at least two platoons of troops with individual squads taking up holding patterns along the three kilometer front. Backing them up, if they had them, would be a squadron of scout walkers. Though the thick smoke obscured most of his vision, Cal knew they were there.

In their position, he'd have them placed along the overlapping ridgeline parallel to the trenchline as it would give them the best view to reign down hell. He also knew that the troops holding this trench would be bristling with heavy firepower. Stationary WEB Cannons and Squad Automatic Blaster Cannons to the front, portable mortar crews to the back with standard squads of fighting infantry in the middle. Against an en mass of infantry, this would be devastating. They could hold out against a determined frontal attack for a long while regardless of the numbers sent at them so long as the shells and bolts kept flying.

But they weren't going to hit them from the front. Not even close. And to this, Cal smiled.

* * *

The key to overwhelming an enemy's superiority in battle is to deny them this superiority through whatever means available to ones forces. If an opponent possesses vast numbers, then you take up strong positioning where terrain will make employing said numbers difficult. If they have a stronger supply network that brings them fresh munitions and reinforcements, then using guerilla tactics to cut this network becomes paramount. If the enemy is entrenched in a strong fighting position and must be dispatched, then reconnaissance and discovering a fatal weakness and thus exploiting it become instruments of victory. If they utilize a greater display of firepower, then speed and stealth must be used in tandem to bypass their effective firing range and to engage them up close and personal.

These were lessons that Commander Rex had drilled into the newly created Commando Companies years prior that had been the source of their every victory in the past three years.

" _You will always be outnumbered,_ " he'd said to them once, _"always outgunned, and always out supplied by the Imperials. That's the way our job works. But what they will never have is your skill, your training and your minds. To beat them, you have to fight smarter than them. Always fight smarter than them."_

" _Fight smarter,"_ Cal mused softly. Well that was exactly what they were going to do. They were now a hundred meters from the first series of trenches and from this point forward they would need to low crawl the rest of the way. The cold bit into their arms and legs despite the heavy thermals they were wearing, but they ignored it and kept pressing on. Fifty meters, and now they could hear the enemy ahead.

They drew their combat knifes and got ready to make their move.

" _Unless they've radically changed their holding practices since I was last with them, they'll have their mortar batteries positioned here,"_ Cal pointed to the first of three trenchlines he'd dug into the ground, furthest to the back, _"which will mean 3 three man crews, spaced out at least ten feet apart from each other."_

Through the open comm. Dare sounded like a saddened puppy:

" _Ten feet!? Ahhh, blighters 'lways gotta ruin me fun. Mean we won't able to hit 'em all with 'nades without callin' their mates over!"_

" _Oh boo hoo for you, you pyromaniac,"_ Zian smirked, " _That mean's knife work, then?"_ she asked, preemptively drawing her stilettos from their sheaves on her chestplate, _"Close the distance and take them out one at a time?"_

He nodded. He then turned to Mentz, and in turn his crew.

" _Any chance you guys know how to use Mortars?"_

Mentz gave him his classic wry smile.

" _Guess we'll find out, won't we?"_

* * *

" _Why the hell did it have to be a damn ice planet, Jorge? Why couldn't the Rebels have had a base on a beach planet?"_

" _Macky, the last time we were on a beach planet they stole the plans to the Death Star. Don't remind me of that!"_

" _Ah, bikini clad women, sun tans…"_

" _I'll take just being lazy for a good two hours every day, Jorge."_

Cal and Zian advanced up to the first position, splitting off onto the left and right.

" _Nah Carli. Don't mind slogging it for a couple months but just get me a good woman after the end of it."_

" _Ready, Zian?"_

" _Bikini man is mine."_

" _Roger. On your mark."_

" _Yeah, good woman until she shows what she's really loaded with. Trust me, those frontier gaudies maybe nice to look at, but they got all sorts of nasty—"_

Suddenly a stiletto buried itself in his forehead and the Snowtrooper dropped into the trench. Cal moved like lightning, tackling the second man to the ground and slamming his knife into the back of his neck with a sickening _crunch._ The third man raised a blaster on him, but before he could even scream or shoot Zian was upon him. In seconds, she opened up the entire left side of his neck in a blur of quickened stabs leaving him a compulsing bloodied geyser, slowly chocking to death. However, Cal quickly extracted his weapon and finished him off with a quicker death.

From behind the mask, Zian scowled but Cal cut her off.

" _Don't. I served with these men. They don't deserve to die like butchered cattle."_

" _Tell that to the men in that trench, or on the Flat Top."_

" _They're just soldiers, Zian. Just like us. We're no different."_

" _Soldiers don't slaughter families and sell their children into slavery, Cal."_

Further up the trench, the Maktaversh brothers advanced onto their objective. However, when they reached the edge they both had to reframe from laughing. The men there hadn't even unpacked their mortars, and instead were playing a heated game of Sabaac over a makeshift table.

" _Turn out your Maker-Damned sleeve, you cheating bastard! I know you got an Idiot's Array up there."_

" _Oh screw you, you fumbling fish! You couldn't Sabaac face your way out of a game with five year olds!"_

" _Why you-!"_

" _Oy mates! Got room fer 'nother?"_

Suddenly, Marne appeared besides the men, his own hand drawn and a bundle of credits that dropped into the center of the table.

" _Who the hell-?"_

" _See I wager I'll kill you, and you, and maybe you too, Mr. Cheating Wanker, 'fore my half pint brother even gets the drop on all of you! And I even gave 'em a head start!"_

He then tossed his cards into the air, drawing all three of their eyes to it for a precious split second. Marne drew his knife in a flash of silver and buried it into the throat of the man on his right before drawing a hatchet from his back and decapitating the one on his left. When he turned to the third man however, he found that Dare had already caved in his head with a Trench Mace.

" _Ah, best two outta three. Hey check his sleeves."_

Sure enough, three cards flopped onto the table. Dare chuckled madly:

" _Lookie there. An Idiot's Array!"_

" _Pfft, classic wanker. Quick grab their credits!"_

The last crew was up to Davos and Mentz to take. Davos moved off to the left, quietly dropping into the trench like sly fox in a chicken house and going low to the ground; his knife held ready. The three men ahead were putting together their shells into a firing set, but their blasters were still close to hand. Suddenly, a voice boomed out from behind them:

" _Hey I surrender! I surrender!"_

" _What the-hey don't move!"_

The three Snowtroopers drew their blaster rifles onto the almost bear like man, completely oblivious to the Durosian sneaking up behind them.

" _Jek, get on the horn and tell them we got a Rebel here!"_

" _Yes sir!"_

" _Look, I don't wanna die! Just take me away from here, please!"_

" _You stay right there or I'll put you down, Rebel Scum!"_

" _I didn't ask for this! They just drafted me!"_

" _Shut up! Yen, get the pylons from the back! We'll tie him up and wait for grunts in the front. Hey Yen!"_

He turned and found them both on the floor, blood pooling into the snow, and another Snowtrooper standing over them. Wait, he wasn't a Snowtrooper!

" _What—"_

" _Hey Buckethead, pay attention!"_

The Snowtrooper turned and suddenly Mentz was towering over him. He tried to bring his weapon up, but Mentz beat him to beat with a heavy handed fist that sent him to the floor. He then retrieved his fallen weapon before kicking the trooper over:

" _Scum? I'll show you scum."_

He flipped the weapon over and took his vengeance upon the enemy who had maimed and crippled those under his command. Panting, with blood soaking through his coat and his gloves, he croaked softly:

" _Let's get to work."_

* * *

" _Once we've taken out the first trench, we still need to deal with the second and third. The middle trench will have at least two squads of standard troops, the third here will have a heavy weapons platoon."_

" _If they got the Mortars properly calibrated, we can take out the farther of the two,"_ Mentz replied, mimicking the firing distance from the third to the first of the trench lines, _"but once we do, those buckets will be on us faster than fleas on a Wookie."_

Marne chuckled through his comm.

" _Leave that to us, bucko. That's our specialty. Ya just make sure ya drop the sky on the rest."_

Mentz smiled back at them.

" _Will do."_

* * *

" _Glad y'all could make it! Me an' Dare thinkin' we'd have to carry on the mission ourselves!"_

" _You kidding?"_ Zian laughed in her squad's close channel, _"You buffoons wouldn't make a klick without us!"_

" _Bullocks, ma red bonnie ruge!"_ Dare bellowed back, _"Moi and Skinny Malinky Longlegs 'ere been survivin' places worse than this frozen hellscape!"_

This was answered by a smack from Marne:

" _Who ya callin' Longlegs, Short Round? Why, I outta grab you an' toss you into the enemy with live loads set off!"_

" _Cut the chatter,"_ Cal interrupted before chuckling a slight bit, _"though that might not be a bad idea."_

" _An exploding flying dwarf,"_ Zian laughed.

" _I'm not tha' short!"_

" _Mo-RONs!"_ a hard bellowing voice yelled in their ears, _"If I'm gonna buy it, I'd rather not have my last moments listenin' to yer damn banter gah-!"_

The Captain's painful cries through their squad comm. were enough to remind them of their mission, and what was at stake.

* * *

" _Look at 'em, Davos. Boy's a natural; probably follow him to the grave if it came to it."_

" _Here certainly has come a long way."_

The gel was already starting to deteriorate faster than Davos could manage. The heavy grinding march and Barker's insistence not to be put on a stretcher were putting an extreme amount of stress on the seal around his gut wound. Davos applied further pressure to the wound as he changed out his bandages, applying them tight. As he did, Barker switched his helmet's channel so that only Davos could hear him:

" _I ain't gonna make it, Davos. You and I both know that."_

Davos didn't bother responding, knowing it was utterly pointless. Barker continued, his breathes become further and further strained with every passing minute:

" _Keep the boy steady, Davos. Don't let him stray."_

Davos pulled the bandage so tight around his middle it caused him to wince:

" _Do that yourself, Edwin. I've treated worse."_

" _Heh, yer damn bad liar, you alien bastard."_

" _And you are depressing beyond belief, human."_

Barker laughed at this.

" _I'm gonna miss these talks. Keep the boy steady, Davos. That's an order."_

" _With all due respect sir, shut up and let me work."_

* * *

" _Mentz, we're in position."_

" _Copy that, Cal,"_ Mentz then keyed his mike radio to the rest of the men in the first trench, _"Alright boys and girls, shatter their skies!"_

Nearly thirty yards ahead, the heavy weapons platoon shifted impatiently in the cold confines on their trench. Their heavy weapons were locked, loaded and ready to unleash death on an impressive scale. But here they were, far from the battle and waiting to catch any Rebels looking to escape. They all knew it was a pointless assignment. Anybody looking to get off world sure as hell wouldn't be coming out this way.

Then they heard a loud whistling up over head. They looked up just in time to see shells arching high up in the air.

" _What the hell? What are they shelling!?"_ Somebody in the trench screamed. As the shells arched down, they knew then they were witnessing their doom as they descended with their death song. A standard Mortar tube can fire off a sustained barrage of 20 shells per minute, and even 30 for a smaller period of time. Within the first twenty seconds, each Mortar crew would fire off a combined 27 shells. These shells were combinations of High Explosive, Micro-Munitions which carried a package of smaller explosives for a wider blast radius, and Incendiary.

From a distance of what is considered point blank range for artillerymen, their accuracy was unquestionable. The HE's hit first, literally ripping apart the ground in a massive concussion that sent shockwaves for up to a mile. Then seconds later the MM's delivered their payload, their effect akin to dropping a bucket of sensitive firecrackers on an anthill. The job was then finished by the Incendiary, splattering the areas of impact with liquid napalm; setting fire to everything with running distance in the trench.

The napalm burned at a high temperature of over 2,000 degrees, literally incinerating everything left standing from flesh to metal and even the ice under them. Within a minute, the fire would melt a gulley within the compacted soil; the moisture only fueling the chemical fire even more. Eventually, the underlining ice when melted then super heated turning into hydrogen gas would literally cause the high heat pressure to explode. The ground caved in as a result, creating a crater ten meters long and ten meters deep. Nothing could survive the result of it.

" _Vashba,"_ Davos gasped in utter horror. He hadn't seen such devastation since the Siege of Mandalore during the Clone Wars, back when he'd been a combat medic for the Republic. The Death Watch hadn't given up the world easily, and it often took the full wrath of an orbital bombardment to dissuade them of the notion. It'd taken months to account for the dead; most having been buried beneath the ruins of shattered cities, once home to millions. For Cal, the guilt ran deep within him.

There was no question where his loyalties lay, but a lifetime ago he'd fought, trained, and lived with these men… men he'd commanded once. He closed his eyes at the storm engulfing far ahead. He'd made the right choice. He knew he would have to kill men he'd once fought for. He'd made peace with that.

But in the end it still ached.

" _Hey Cal! Ya okay, mate?"_

His eyes snapped open.

" _Take them."_

" _Hi-ho-bloody-Silver!"_

All four of them drew their Thermal Imploders. These were Vacuum based explosives that literally draws in everything within its radius and then proceeds to crush them before irrupting in a massive secondary explosion. Extremely deadly, but each had a ten second fuse so a time for error was high. Marne drew a Flash Bomb in tandem first, activating it and tossing it over into the second trench.

" _Flash out!"_

He'd purposefully designed a shortened fuse from five to three seconds. While it meant he couldn't toss it as far, the enemy wouldn't have the time to switch on their visor dampeners to protect their eyes. The Flash Bomb echoed like churchbells and burned as bright as the sun, and the sudden screams signaled their effectiveness. Now the Imploders went next.

" _Frag out!"_

They each tossed their Imploders into a different section of the trench. The wait felt like an utter agonizing eternity and when they went everything surrounding the implosion was literally sucked in and destroyed. Even for nearly twelve seconds the very air became almost nonexistent. When the four of them step up to the trench, they found literally nothing. No bodies, no equipment, just an even bigger trenchline.

Suddenly they heard footsteps and a bolt hit Zian over her head.

" _Contact right!"_ Dare shouted as he dropped to the floor, his A-280 blaster rifle firing off scarlet bolts at their attackers. Marne dropped into a combat stance but was hit full on in the chest, dropping him to the floor. Cal ran sideways around the attacking squad, firing his weapons as he went and drawing the enemy fire away from his companions. As he did, Dare plucked a Flechette Canister from his chest and tossed it right into the midst of the half-dazed Snowtroopers. The Canister irrupted, sending thousands metal darts into the enemy and tearing them apart like a meat grinder.

" _Gah, packed quite the wallop,"_ Marne groaned as he rose from the ground, feeling the blackened burn on his chest piece.

" _Oh, pack it in ya 'ig pansy!"_

" _Don't mind me boys,"_ Zian replied sarcastically, nursing the scorch across her helm, _"I think my Lekku's been tenderized."_

Their exchange was cut short as they suddenly felt heavy tremors in the ground.

" _Ah there they are,"_ Cal then switched frequencies, _"Mentz, get the boys ready to move. We'll have a very small window to escape so make good of it."_

" _What 'bout the walkers?"_

" _We'll handle them. Get the hell out of here, driver!"_

" _Roger that."_

The squad then dived back into the trench, the Maktaversh brothers unclipping their portable Anti-Armor Rockets. These were a miniature redesign of the traditional Smart Rockets, capable of being folded into a small tube for easier transport. The downside was that they lacked the range and power, and could only use one preloaded rocket. However, the pair had made up for this by attaching a Disrupter Cap to the rockets, a product from their days as self proclaimed two man freedom fighters (or terrorists depending on which side you were on), allowing the payload to literally melt through enemy armor and then release the explosive charge inside of the armored shell. Highly effective, but they would each only get one shot at it.

" _Hope their ain't three of 'em or we'll be nice an' tosty."_

" _Not their standard M.O. Always travel in packs."_

A minute later the Scout Walkers appeared over the hill, looming over like Angels of Vengeance. Well short lived Angels of Vengeance.

" _Oy Tincans!"_

The pair rose to their feet and fired off the rockets. Once in the air, the guidance monitors inside the payloads locked onto the homing frequency of the Scout Walkers and collided. A split second later, they erupted in a massive fireball as the command cabins were blown out from the inside out. They fell to the ground in a heavy crash, their fires adding more to the utter desolation pocketing the land. Then through the smolder more Snowtroopers arrived.

" _Pop smoke!"_ Cal shouted. Quickly they removed their Smoke Grenades and tossed them in different directions. Within seconds a thick white cloud covered over the area and the Commandoes immediately proceeded to book it. Once the cleared the smoke about ten yards out, they immediately spun around and went prone; bringing their weapons up.

" _Pick your targets,"_ Cal ordered, _"make your shots count. And that means you Dare."_

" _Ah, I 'anted ta go rollin' cowboy!"_ he laughed back.

" _Contact front,"_ Zian interrupted.

" _Hold. Let them come out first."_

Now they could hear their running footsteps.

" _Steady, steady…"_

The first wave of Snowtroopers ripped through the smoke, their weapons drawn.

" _Let them have it!"_

The Commandoes opened fire, dropping the first wave of troops within seconds. As they crumpled, the second group was hit, but the third immediately dropped low and returned fire. Low to the ground and camouflaged in the snow, the Commandoes weren't easy targets. But as more of the troopers went down, the more their shots hit home. Marne was hit first in the head, the armor absorbing the impact but the blow was still jarring; allowing for a second to hit him hard in the shoulder and a third in the hand.

" _Gah, you bastards!"_

Dare was hit across the helm, but he managed to roll out of the way as more bolts ripped up his patch of ground.

" _Both of you, withdraw!"_ Cal bellowed as he rose to one knee, giving the enemy a target besides the two retreating Commandoes. He immediately paid the price for it as he was hit twice in chest, and once to the thigh. He gritted his teeth and kept firing, dropping another trooper with a shot to the head. Then blaster fire zipped from behind, zooming past him and Zian.

" _Guys fall back!"_

Cal and Zian took off at a start with Marne and Dare providing covering fire. The remaining Snowtroopers, numbering a squad now, advanced forward firing as they went. Dare dug out a small thermic charge from his back and buried it into the snow. Once he did, he and Marne withdrew to the next position; Zian and Cal covering for them.

" _Fall back!"_

Cal and Zian took off running again. Seconds later the advancing enemy overtook their previous position, and stumble right over the thermic mine.

" _Bye bye wankers!"_

The mine erupted, blowing apart the advancing attackers.

" _Damn, now that was a workout,"_ Zian panted, shouldering her rifle.

" _I've had worse,"_ Cal grunted, nursing his leg before switching frequencies, _"Mentz you copy?"_

" _Loud and clear!"_ Mentz booming voice answered, _"You boys okay?"_

" _Ran into some unwanted company. Where are you?"_

" _Took cover in a gully a runs distance from the trenchline."_

They should have been at the entrance by now.

" _How are the wounded?"_

" _Cal, it's your boss. He's bleeding out bad, an' Davos is having a tough time keepin' him together."_

" _I understand. Stay put. We're on our way."_

* * *

The long march was utterly silent. Wounded and battered, the squad didn't bother needing to add more to their minds. Eventually, they spotted the gully and the men in it. Quickly they dropped down and made their way to Davos, and their dying Captain.

" _How you doing old man?"_

" _Well 'nough that I'll kick your ass fer sayin' that!"_ Barker chuckled before he was hit by set of coughing. Davos removed his helmet and blood poured out of his mouth, his face rapidly losing its color pallet.

" _Ah c'mon, boss,"_ Marne smiled with a confidence he did not remotely have, _"Ya survived worse than this. 'member that time on Sullust?"_

" _This ain't Sullust,"_ Barker replied, choking out more of his lifeblood, _"had the pancake faces to back us up then. Cal,"_ he grabbed at his arm, bringing him closer, _"leave me and get the men outta here."_

" _That's not happening, Sir. The entrance is only half a kilo from here. We can make it,"_ he then looked up at his medic, _"we can make it, right?"_

He nodded.

" _Mentz, get the troops ready to move! Zian, you and Dare take rearguard. Marne, you're with me."_

" _Copy that, Bossman!"_

* * *

Ahead of them was a wide open plain before the foot of a large number of hills backed by a large cliffface. The auxiliary entrance was tucked somewhere up in the foothills. The going was slow, the men having to bear their wounded and Barker growing increasingly dire. But Cal knew they could make it, they were so close now and the worst was left far behind them. To this notion, he was wrong.

Far ahead they spotted the growing whirlwind fast approaching them and then seconds later they heard the distinct sound of hover engines.

" _Bikers!"_ Marne shouted, _"Get to cover!"_

Immediately the soldiers ran to either side as a squadron of Speeder Bikes charged at them, firing off their blaster cannons and shattering away giant chunks of the ground. They zoomed past them, but immediately split off into two groups. Everybody with a weapon started taking potshots at the Bikers, but they were moving too far and too fast. They zoomed around again and charged at the groups.

Three of them made a bee line for Cal, Marne, Davos and Barker. All three of them opened fire on them, dropping one of the bikers and sending his flying over them before crashing into a rockface. The other two veered off to comeback around again.

" _Quick get to high ground!"_

Across the way, the second group with Zian, Dare, Mentz and rest of his tank crew formed a defensive square; a trick they'd learned from guerilla fighters on Ryloth. As the Bikers charged, they would fire away at them and force them to feer off lest they be cut to pieces. Zian took aim and hit the back exhaust of a passing speeder, causing it to buckle and hit the ground hard. Now the other two flipped around and opened up on the group with their blaster cannons. One man was hit full in the chest and was sent flying, the rest diving to the ground as the zoomed past.

" _Ah that tears it!"_

He then grabbed one of his men, opening up his bag and pulled out a long wind of steel cabling. Once a time before he'd herded Nerfs on his homeworld and now the tricks of that particular trade returned to serve him again. He tied the cabling into a lasso and rose, swinging the lasso high and wide before he tossed it right at the drive shaft of one of the passing speeders.

" _Grab hold! We're gonna Nerf Ride this bastard!"_

Everybody grabbed a piece of the cable and pulled, causing the speeder to swing round and round around the group until at last it crashed into the third speeder bike; erupting into a massive fireball.

" _Yeehaw!"_ Mentz roared aloud, swinging his cap around in the air. Across the way, Cal and his group ran like hell trying to get to the foothills where they could pick off the speeders. However just as the hit the foot of it, the speeders were upon them. They opened fire on a lagging Davos, who was bearing Barker over his shoulder. There was a loud explosion of scarlet that rocked the ground and they were both sent flying into the air.

Davos hit the ground just ahead of Cal and Marne. When they heard him screaming his lungs out seconds later, they darted over to find his right leg severed up to the knee. Clutching the smoldered ruins of it, he screamed:

" _Where's Barker!?"_

" _Marne go find him!"_

" _Cal… my medkit!"_

" _Hang on!"_

He pushed him over slightly and retrieved the red satchel. Fighting through the excruciating pain, Davos gave out instructions:

" _Pull out the tourniquet, wrap it over my Vastus Laterallis_ —"

" _Your what!?"_

" _Right here! Wrap it around here, you stupid pinkskin!"_

Thirty feet away, with numb and cold appendages, Barker slowly rose to his feet. The seal around his wound had broken and now his bandages were starting to become overflowed with blood. But he didn't care about that now. The speeder bikes had whipped around and were coming for **his** men. He drew from his holster his officer issued DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol and fired directly into the air as he bellowed out:

" _COME ON, YOU SONS OF MYNOKS! COME AND GET ME!"_

The Bikers whirled around and came right for him. He raised his weapon and took careful aim. He fired three times, missing all but the last which hit the Biker in the shoulder and caused him to crash into the ground. The second came right at him, firing away at him. Despite his injuries and age, he dived to the side.

The speeder zoomed right past him, but then whirled around for another pass at him. Barker, now barely able to stand rose anyway and with a broad manic smile on his face raised his pistol and started firing. Marne was closing in fast, running as hard as he could.

" _COME ON!"_ Barker shouted, _"COME ON!"_

His shots hit the Biker several times, but he refused to budge. He drew his own pistol and hit Barker across the chest. Going to one knee, Barker fired one last round that hit the Biker square in the face. However the speeder was still coming at him. Barker laughed aloud and spread his arms out wide.

" _No!"_ Marne screamed as he ran the fastest he ever had in his entire life, his hand stretching out pleadingly to try and grab his commander. But it was too late. In a flash of shattering steel and ice, Captain Edwin Barker was gone. Marne slumped to his knees, his face drooping in utter horror and contemplated failure.

" _No…"_

" _Marne!"_ his squadleader called out to him, _"Marne! Gimme a hand!"_

He didn't hear him at first, couldn't even feel the world around him. It wasn't until he heard Davos scream that his stupor broken and he rose back to his feet and ran back to the pair. Davos was not in good shape, having lost a considerable amount of blood before a tourniquet and the synthetic scabbing could be applied. But even despite this, he fought to stay awake. When he saw Marne, he asked the question he dreaded:

" _Where's Barker? Where's the Captain?"_

" _Gone,"_ was all Marne could say a painful whisper as he took the Durosian's other arm and helped Cal carry him up the hillside.

* * *

" _I couldn't save him, Cal. I couldn't save him."_

" _Listen to me! There was nothing you could do!"_

" _I coulda run faster!"_ he blurted out angrily.

" _No... you couldn't,"_ Davos replied weakly, _"you did… your job… he went out… way he lived. A good death… all one could ask for."_

" _I need you, Marne,"_ Cal said, grabbing him by the shoulder, _"I need you now more than ever. You understand me?"_

He nodded, panting softly.

" _Yes Sergeant."_

He patted him softly on the helm.

" _Go help your brother. Cave in that entrance."_

" _Yes Sergeant."_

Mentz came up to his shoulder.

" _You sure that's wise? There could be others out there."_

" _Those Bikers were patrol scouts, Mentz,"_ Cal replied somberly, _"they would've called HQ before taking us on. In ten minutes, we'll probably have a company breathing down our necks. Right now… we need to take care of ourselves."_

The older man nodded.

" _So what's our next move?"_

" _We make our way to Transport 5. And get the hell off this world. Can you spare a couple of men to carry Davos?"_

" _I'll carry him myself."_

Davos smiled weakly, clutching tight his own IV bag he attached to his arm:

" _Thhh-annk you."_

Mentz smiled back:

" _I owe you for keeping my men alive. Yer makin' it outta this, I swear it."_

" _Dare, Marne, how we doing?"_

" _Charges are set, boss. Oughta get thirty feet out 'fore we blow 'em though."_

" _Alright. Regroup on me. We'll take the front. No doubt we're gonna run into a few stragglers on our way out."_

* * *

Five minutes later, the Auxiliary Door and the surrounding area were completely buried under tons of snow and rock. Taking the lead and checking rooms as they went, Cal winced visibly from the explosion. Zian grabbed him by his shoulder and steadied before slipping into a private channel:

" _Are you okay?"_

" _No. I don't think any of us are."_

" _We're alive… and we're almost out. That's what… what he'd want."_

" _I know. I just want to get us off this Maker-Damn planet."_

" _We will."_

Cal nodded and continued his advance down the long service tunnels.

" _How are the others doing?"_

" _As well as they can, I suppose."_

" _How are you doing?"_

She took a while before she answered:

" _As well as I can… I just can't believe he's gone."_

He took her comfortingly by the shoulder:

" _We'll mourn later. Right now… we need to keep moving."_

" _Hold up."_

She held up her hand went directly to the wall. Cal and the rest followed suit, their weapons drawn.

" _Mentz, hold your position. We may have company."_

" _Copy."_

Now they could all hear it: advancing footsteps approaching. A lot of them.

" _Oh the hell with this!"_

Suddenly Marne charged out of line and right into the corridor. There waiting were a squad of Snowtroopers caught completely by surprise as the Rebel Commando opened fire.

" _COME ON!"_ He roared as he unloaded into the first man in sight, tearing him apart with his blaster rifle. The rest of the Commandoes swarmed in, firing as they went and forcing the rest of the Imperials to retreat around another hallway.

" _OH NO YOU DON'T!"_ Marne screamed as like a wild, uncontrollable animal he lunged forward, brandishing his war Axe high over head as he gave chase!

" _Marne don't!"_

" _YOU FANNY, NERF-HERDING, GOB BASTARDS! I'LL KILL EVRY LAST OF YOU! I'LL RIP YOUR YAKS OUT!"_

He leapt over the fallen dead and disappeared around the bend.

" _Marne ya bloody idiot! Come back!"_ Dare suddenly took off running after his brother, _"I'm supposed ta be the stupid one! 'ome back!"_

" _Did they just run in?!"_ Zian exclaimed.

" _Nevermind that! After them!"_

* * *

The Snowtroopers ran and ran and ran until they reached an adjacent room. However they hear blood curdling scream and turned to find a Rebel wielding an axe charging at them! They raised their blasters, but Marne tackled right into the mix of them, knocking down three of them. With madness clouding him and his eyes going red, he smashed the axe into the head of his first victim; almost slitting it into two and soaking his white armor red. As the Snowtroopers raised their weapons, another Rebel this time with a mace crashed into another trooper and caved in his skull with the heavy weapon.

Blaster fire went out, and the two Rebels took hits to the arms, legs and chest but they pushed on anyway, slaughtering and hacking their way through the room. Zian and Cal ran into the room, soon becoming enveloped into the melee. Zian was grabbed by a trooper as she ran in, hitting her over the helmet with the butt of his rifle. Using her weapon as a shield, she ran him into a wall before smacking him over the face with it and knocking him to the floor. No sooner than she had than she was grabbed from behind and pulled to the floor.

Cal entered last, shooting two troopers who'd just run in, one after the other dropping them with headshots. Then suddenly he was grabbed from the side, a knee going into his ribs before he was tackled into a wall. The Snowtrooper grabbed his weapon, fighting with Cal for it as he kneed him again in the stomach. The blaster rifle went flying, and Cal countered by smashing his fist into his attacker. He then smashed his shoulders into his chest, knocking him to the floor.

However, no sooner than he did than he was knocked off him. As he rolled over the trooper tackled him again, this time into an abandoned storage room. They crashed into a table, the two rolling off one another as the Snowtrooper tried to strangle him. Cal reached for a stray pot and smacked the trooper over the helmet with it. He dropped to the floor, nursing his bruised throat.

The trooper grabbed a crate and threw it at him. It exploded on impact, throwing Cal onto the other side of the room. The Trooper lunged, grabbing his sidearm as he did. Cal instinctively grabbed his weapon arm and tried to swing it away, but it fired directly into his leg. Screaming in pain, he knocked the blaster aside and kicked across the room.

Clutching his burning leg, he heard a distinct _shink._ He had a knife in his hand. What was worse was that Cal noticed the man was wearing a white pauldron, signifying his rank as a sergeant. He took a classic knife fighters stance expertly, keeping the blade trained on him. Cal immediately drew his own blade, circling his opponent.

" _Wanna make this personal? Show me what you got then!"_

A Snowtrooper had landed ontop of Zian, using his bigger physique to wrangler her and wrapping his hands around her throat. Zian squirmed her knees under his chest, nudging some distance on him as she drew her twin stilettos. She stabbed him repeatedly in the sides of the chest, the blades puncturing through bone and flesh like hot butter. She then knocked him off her, moving and slicing his throat in two. Dare smacked a trooper in the arm, breaking it in four places and knocking him over.

Zian finished him over by slamming her blades through his sternum as Marne buried his axe into an opponent's chest. He then lunged at another, pummeling him over and over again as he screamed:

" _DIE YOU BASTARDS! DIE!"_

Cal took the first jab, swinging across the sergeant's middle. He stepped back, responding with a downward slash that gashed his arm.

" _Gah,"_ he cursed as he stepped back. The sergeant then charged, going for a stab to the neck. Cal ducked sideways, slashing him across the calf. They both righted, circling again. The trooper struck first, Cal dropping and slashing him under the rips.

He then brought his weapon up in a hammer fist, but the trooper recovered quickly; blocking him and grabbing his arm. He tried to stab his weapon under and into Cal's gut but he quickly caught it. The two struggled like tangled wolves, twisting and writhing, knocking each other into walls and over crates. The Trooper Sergeant then lashed out with a vicious kick, contacting with Cal's blaster wound. He dropped in pain, allowing the trooper to smack his knife across the room and open him up for a punch that sent him across the room and into a wall.

Seconds later, Cal looked up to see the trooper coming at him. His weapon was revered gripped, aimed for his head. He tried to move out of the way, but was too slow. The knife slammed into his shoulder, the cold steel buried just above his armpit. He scream out in pain, Cal's hand instinctually wrapping around the troopers arm and knife hand.

The trooper applied his full body weight into the knife, twisting it as he did. Screaming, Cal slugged him once and then twice across the face. In a split second, the Trooper Sergeant withdrew the knife and then just as quickly buried it again in his shoulder. Cal lashed out with a knee, the liquid fire driving him onward. The Trooper withdrew the knife again, but this time Cal moved to catch it.

The blade swung hard and sliced right through his hand, the guard going right into his palm. Cal was far too pissed to feel the pain; instead his fingers locked with the knife and as he drove an elbow into his face followed by kick that sent him reeling, ripped the blade away from him. With a snarl, he pulled the knife out of his hand and tackled the trooper to the ground. His hand became an unstoppable motor as he stabbed over and over again into his guts; eventually ripping them open. Now utterly painted in the man's blood, Cal slammed the knife into the trooper's skull, breaking the blade off at the hilt.

Standing over his slain enemy battered, bleeding and burning from the raging fire along his entire left arm; he panted raggedly. He tried to move his left arm, but doing so only made the pain worse so he let it hang. That was when he noticed that there was an utter quiet in the air. Frantically, he pulled out his DH-17 sidearm and ran back into the room. There, he found a scene of utter carnage.

His men were slumped over a floor chocked with punctured and dismembered corpses. Each of them were as bloodied and battered as him, their stark white armor like scarlet canvases and their bodies racked with blaster burns.

" _You all look how I feel,"_ Cal panted.

" _Right back at you."_

* * *

Minutes later, with Cal leading the way holding his DH-17 with his one good hand, his E-11 tucked under his shoulder and his ruined arm dangling limp and numb; the bedraggled cadre of lambasted soldiers carried on down the ruined halls of their desolate home. Then suddenly, they heard movement in a room up ahead. Their nerves utter wracked from the last ten minutes, they drew their weapons on the door as a wall of brown fur moved right through.

" _Don't move, you big monkey!"_

Suddenly, Chewbacca spun around, his bowcaster raised on battered group and snarling his own warning at them.

" _Whoa Chewie, hold your fire!"_

The familiar swaggering frame of Captain Solo suddenly bumbled in between the two. The big Wookie lowered his weapon, the Commandoes did the same.

" _And don't call Chewie a—"_

He spun round and his eyes went wide.

" _What in the blazes happened to you?"_

" _You should see the other guys,"_ Zian replied cheekily. Han nodded slowly:

" _Probably don't want to. It's alright Princess, they're with us."_

Leia Organa then entered the room and Cal, always the proper soldier, immediately saluted. Leia saluted back:

" _You Commandoes?"_

" _Yes ma'am. Sergeant Cal Maxim. This is Zian, Marne, and Dare. That's Lieutenant Mentz and his troops. He was a part of the artillery crew on the Flat Top."_

Sorrow drew over her eyes:

" _I heard what happened. You have my condolences, Lieutenant."_

" _Thank you, ma'am,"_ Mentz replied somberly, _"I don't mean to be rude, but we gotta lot of wounded here so can we—"_

Suddenly Chewbacca brushed past everybody and plucked the wounded Davos from Mentz's arms and cradled him like toy.

" _Thank you,"_ Cal patted his shoulder gratefully, and the Wookie smiled in response, _"we were heading to Transport Five. We were hoping to hitch a ride."_

" _Then you're outta luck,"_ Han responded, _"that took off five minutes ago. But the Falcon is still parked in the hangar, so y'all can ride with us."_

" _That's_ _ **if**_ _that bucket of junk could actually fly."_

" _Oh she'll fly,"_ Han grinned back winningly, _"she's still got more than a few surprises left up her sleeve."_

" _Sir with all due respect, if she can fly then we'll take it. We don't exactly have any better options. So if you please, lead the way."_


	9. Escape

Chapter Eight: Escape

* * *

" _How are we doing, Luke?"_

Her apprentice came back over the intercom:

" _It's been a while since I've had to do a manual startup on the Falcon, and I've always done it with Han looming over my shoulder."_

" _First time for everything I suppose."_

" _I should be done by the time he and the others get here."_

" _That is_ ** _if_** _they get here."_

Ahsoka turned to glare at her prisoner, meditating over in a corner; his hands bound tightly with rend steel. She sighed and turned back to the intercom:

" _Keep working, Luke. They'll be here soon."_

" _Right. Out."_

She switched off the intercom to the room, making sure it would stay that way, and then closing the doors leading up into the common room. She then spun in her chair to face Vader, her hand instinctually drawing her saber as she addressed him coldly:

" _And you… don't push it. You're only alive because I've decided you're of more use to us than dead."_

" _How generous,"_ Vader replied, his voice like venom to her mind, _"but I wonder if it's because you fear the consequences when your… apprentice, learns the truth of things,"_ he then leaned forward, staring hard into her glaring blue eyes, _"perhaps we shall inform him when he returns?"_

Ahsoka stood from her seat, her face locked in a snarl and her weapon raised on him:

" _Don't you dare,"_ she growled coldly, _"I won't let you take Luke from me."_

" _He was never yours to give… or take."_

" _You have no right to say that."_

" _He is_ ** _my_** _son."_

" _Only in name, Vader. You weren't there to raise him."_

" _And like a true Jedi you have done nothing but deceive him."_

She glowered at him, her teeth clenched and her eyes slit. Even now, especially now, she found it hard to resist the urge to take her saber and shove it into his putrid heart. Slowly, she sat back down into her chair.

" _Yes,"_ she sighed at a length, _"I've lied. I've told him that his father was a_ _ **brave** __man. That he was a_ _ **kind** __man. That he would have been proud of what he'd become. But you,"_ she paused, looking at him as though she were examining a disgusting insect, _"you are not his father. His father is_ _ **dead**._ _"_

" _His_ _father_ _,"_ Vader responded acidly, _"was_ ** _weak_** _. A man at war with his emotions, blinded by desires he could never have. He could not protect_ _his_ _family; he could not even protect himself."_

" _And what? You think you can?"_

" _I am not Anakin Skywalker. I am more than he could ever be. And you… you will not keep me from_ ** _my_ _son_** _. He will be mine, and there is nothing that you can do that will change that."_

She shot from her seat; igniting her saber and crossing the room in a heartbeat, her weapon a hairs breath away from the Dark Lord's chin. Her face was a mask of pure rage; her eyes wide with fury as her body shook from the irascibility.

" _If you so much as touch him,"_ Ahsoka snarled through clenched teeth, _"I will kill you."_

She'd expected to feel fear, or anger from him. But she didn't. She felt instead a cold satisfaction emanate from him. Somehow, she even felt him smirk under the helm. Even with the saber pointed at his throat; he leaned forward, leering all the while:

" _Even with this…"_ his hands gestured to her and around the room and the world itself, _"façade you have adorned… you are nothing more than a child, scared and alone,"_ he eased back into his seat, his helm never once disengaging from her eyes, _"which is why, in time… I will have you_ _ **both**._ _"_

She backed from him, horrified. Her mind raced with the nightmare that had plagued her. Seeing her world… Luke… fall. But she refused to show it, refused to give him the satisfaction. So, she kept her stoic defense high and strong.

" _Never,"_ she breathed. He shook his head:

" _I only need to be patient… Apprentice."_

* * *

In the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, Luke went through the last of the checklist and switched on the pre-flight power compensators. When they didn't switch on immediately; he slammed his fist into the wall and they flickered back to life. The Falcon seemed to groan in protest and Luke soothed his hand over the control panel:

" _Easy girl, easy. Han'll kill me if he found out I hit you. Tell you what, first chance I get I'll get you some nice, new Power Converters, fresh and right off the shelf. That sound like something you'd want?"_

The groaning stopped and Luke smiled:

" _That's my girl. Okay, maybe not mine, but—"_

He stopped in midsentence. Something dark was eating at him, and it made his guts curl. He pulled from his belt the two lightsabers, his knees moving up to his chest as he held them both up to his eyes. He felt over the smooth, refined steel of the weapons. They were more akin to industrial tools than elegant weapons; functional and almost brutish to the fine touch.

So what did it mean? What did it all mean? Luke had the thought of mind to march into that room and demand his answers. Demand the truth. But did he want the truth; did he want to be anything that he already was?

What reason would Ahsoka have to lie to him? How did he know this, whatever this was, wasn't just some trick? Some ploy to break his bond with her? He thought back to what Obi-Wan had told him; how Vader had betrayed his father and had killed him in cold blood. And everything Ahsoka had told him, everything Rex had told him… about the courage of Anakin Skywalker, the greatest hero the Republic had know…

It'd felt real. It'd felt genuine and sincere, so full of joy but also tempered with the sting of loss.

" _How could… no he couldn't be,"_ Luke told himself, _"How could he and the most evil man who'd ever lived be one and the same? They couldn't be… they just couldn't be."_

Those last words felt utterly hollow. He stared into the gleaming metal of Vader's saber, seeing his reflection staring right back at him. He had to trust her, they'd been through too much not to. Too close that he'd ever think ill of her.

But was he being naïve? Did his love for her blind him? He caught himself at the word. But he shook his head at it. He couldn't deny it: he did love her; she was the only true family he had left… but she was more than that, wasn't she?

He shook his head… at himself, and the world:

" _I don't know what to do,"_ he whispered softly _,_ " _I just don't know what to do."_

Then he felt something in the Force. His mind raced as he hit the intercom:

" _Ahsoka, we're about to have company!"_

* * *

Han rolled to the side as another blaster bolt hit right over his head, splintering away the ice and stone in blackened shards. He ducked behind a wall, drawing his DL-44 and firing back into the crowd of Snowtroopers parked down the hall.

" _These guys don't know when to quit!"_

Cal peeked around the corner and let loose with another bolt of fire from his DH-17, lighting the room scarlet. As he ducked backed, he bellowed over the gunfire:

" _They fear getting their tracheas crushed more than they fear us, sir!"_

" _Don't call me sir!"_ Han bellowed back, firing a round down the ways, _"Been out of the Navy for years and I'd rather it'd stay that way!"_

He scoffed at him:

" _With shooting like that I'm not surprised, flyboy!"_

" _You watch your mouth or I'll use you as a shield, buckethead!"_

" _Oh for the Force's sake,"_ Leia shouted at the pair, firing a bolt down the hall with Cal's E-11 she'd 'borrowed' from him, _"would either of you two laserbrains find a way for us to get out here!?"_

" _Well I'm not the one who insisted we take the scenic route, your highness!"_

" _And I'm not the one who decided to take that 'short cut'!"_

" _How was I supposed to know it would be full of those giant snowmonsters!?"_

" _Do you guys always fight like this?"_

" _Oy, big guy, toss me!"_

" _Hurragh!"_

" _Course it's not a good idea, just toss me!"_

" _What the—"_

Suddenly out of nowhere Chewbacca stepped out into the hallway, and hand over hand sent Dare flying towards the enemy, shouting at the top of his lungs:

" _Tally Hooooo, buggers!"_

He collided right into the center of the squad, knocking down several of the troopers like bowling pins. Then with a bellowing roar Chewbacca charge in, firing his bowcaster as he went. Left and right, troopers were sent flying from the heavy impacts that practically tore straight through them. He stormed right through the remainder, smashing them against walls and kicking them through doors. Two tried to tackle him, but he simply kicked one across the hall and then grabbed the other by the leg and threw him at his buddy.

He then pulled Dare up from the floor, who beamed up at him:

" _Expert shot, me big hairy laddie!"_ Dare laughed aloud, patting his back heartily, _"Ya shoulda been Smash Baller! All hail the mighty Chewbacca an' tis mightier throwin' arm!"_

Chewie, like he was on the field of a great game with the enmass cheering of a million spectators chanting his name, spread his arms wide and bellowed out a victory roar.

" _Oh pipe it down, ya furball!"_ Han growled as he and everybody ran in, _"And you, Shortie. Don't go giving him any ideas of grandeur or I'll introduce you to my boot!"_

" _Gurgah!"_

" _I don't care Chewie! Last thing I need is to go the Solo route, and if anybody says anything, I'll shoot you!"_

Chewie groaned playfully in mock disappointment as Han took the lead running, followed by Cal and Leia. As Dare caught up with him, he patted him on the side:

" _Ah, don't ya worry yer fine furry head, mor caraid! 'fore long, I'll get ya the finest team and I'll even be yer manager!"_

Chewie smirked down at him. Dare was like a child compared to him in height. Dare just shook his head:

" _Don't judge me by me shortness, laddie buck! You and me could maka lot of cred together!"_

" _Oh stop bein' such a kiss ass, Dare!"_ Marne shouted as he and Zian ran up to the pair, hefting a gravely wounded Davos; whose skin was rapidly turning white despite his pale green skin. Chewie immediately swept between them and hefted the dying man in his arms; not even once slowing down. Cal dropped back a pace, meeting up with his men as he ran alongside the big Wookie.

" _How is he?"_ he asked. Chewbacca answered him instead:

" _Hurya Raahhh!"_

Looking up at the Wookie hefting him with as much strain as holding groceries, Davos chuckled weakly:

" _Didn't… know you… studied… medications… too."_

Chewie grinned down at him as he kept running:

" _Gur Hurraryha!"_

" _Over… three… hundred years… old? Fascinat—"_

He couldn't finish the sentence; he was growing weaker by the second. Zian held his hand firmly as she soothed softly:

" _Hold on, Doc. We're almost there."_

" _I'll… try. Getting… cold."_

" _Shhhh."_

Chewie held a finger to his lips, and the others fell silent.

" _Wait! Wait for me!"_

Suddenly C-3PO trotted around the corner, waving his arms desperately. Chewbacca snorted and Dare cursed:

" _Could ya run any slower, ya big walkin' trophy piece?"_

Then the wall behind him came alive with fire as more troopers swarmed in.

" _Oh dear, oh dear, oh-gah!"_

C-3PO stumbled over, falling face first into the snow. Zian, Marne and Dare ran to the end of the hall to form a rearguard as the rest of the wounded moved out. They opened fire and managed to keep the Imperials from advancing any further, tossing in grenades and concussion bombs to force them further back. However, before long more and more troops funneled in and eventually a heavy weapons team with an E-Web Heavy Blaster Cannon opened up on them. The walls literally caved under the impacts of the heavy cannon.

" _Please tell me you two have more grenades!"_ Zian shouted as she and everybody else dived to the ground.

" _Sorry love, had ta use most of 'em on that door!"_

" _Sirs,"_ 3PO called from under snow, _"if you would be so kind as to stand me up, I do have a solution to this particular problem."_

They shrugged their shoulders, crawled over and turned him back over.

" _Oh thank you so kindly sirs, and madam. I was afraid my joints would've frozen up from being—"_

" _Goldie,"_ Marn interrupted _, "yer mouth's got a life of its own, ya know that, right?"_

" _Oh be quiet,"_ Zian snorted, slapping him over the head, _"so what's your idea?"_

" _There is an alternate passage way just ahead of us. There is a door at the end of the hallway these Imperials might be very interested in opening. Though they may regret it when they do."_

" _Right,"_ Zian turned to her two companions, _"we'll pop smoke, shoot at them and get them to follow us."_

" _Ah first things first, love"_ Marne smiled at her, _"need to get these foolhardies blood boilin' first, make 'em more… eh, enthusiastic 'bout chasin' us,"_ he then scooted back to the corner and bellowed at the top of his lungs, _"ya hear that lads? I heard ya Troopers are so bad at shootin' ya couldn't even hit a bunch a cute little teddy bears! Makes me wonder 'bout your competence with the lasses, am I right? Ya probably make more shame than pleasure, and they only take ya out of pity! I mean, am I right or am I right?"_

There was a prolonged silence that fell as the enemy stopped shooting. Than a harsh, but strangely young voice bellowed back:

" _For your last meal, you're gonna choke on those words!"_

" _Oh choke on this, ya pranks!"_

Marne reached around the corner and produced a Two-Finger Salute, which was immediately answered by blaster fire. They could now hear the pounding footsteps as the enemy charged in. The Snowtroopers rounded the corner only to find themselves in the middle of a smokescreen. Then suddenly the room went red as the first two in front were dropped by scarlet bolts to the chest. The troopers returned fire at the source of the attack, slowly moving their way up.

Eventually, the smoke dissipated enough for them to move more freely. They cautiously advanced through the hallway when they suddenly took more fire from up ahead. They ducked low and opened up on the attackers, only to find them mysterious gone again. All except for a mocking, high pitch laugh that echoed its way towards them.

" _You guys are terrible! Bumblin' round and round like dogs chasing your tails! What? Ya couldn't get work as circus crew?"_

" _Shut up, you scum!"_

" _Make me, ya bumblin' goofballs!"_ Marne then dashed past them, giving them something to chase. Far up ahead, the others reached a high steel door with a warning poster plastered on it. C-3PO reached up and ripped the poster in half. Dare felt the urge to open the door, but Zian slapped his hand away before he could.

" _Wha'? Just curious, is all."_

" _I wouldn't recommend opening the door, sirs. They've been in there for 73.45 hours, so I would reckon by their potential biology they will be starving."_

" _Starving? Oh, boy."_

" _Wahoo! I'm right here! I'm right here!"_

They all spun at the sound of blaster fire and one screaming Marne. He spun and fired a burst down the hall, continuing to shout at the top of his lungs:

" _Ya want some of this!? Yeah you do! Come on! Come and get some! Yea—whoa!"_

" _Get down you idiot,"_ Zian cursed as she reached around and pulled him around the corner.

" _Ha ha ha! These guys are too much fun!"_

" _How far back are they?"_

" _Enough time fer you ta kiss yer pretty bum goodbye."_

The Snowtroopers were now sprinting; their weapons raised as they quickly moved down the hall and filed out into the adjacent few ahead of them. There they found an immediate problem. There were tracks leading in two directions: one down the hall and another through a door just in front of them.

" _Maybe they split up?"_ One of the troopers suggested. The squadleader shook his head.

" _We check this door first."_

They prepared themselves for a breach, stacking against the wall. On the squadleaders count, they opened the door.

" _Move in—wait what the hell is that!?"_

This was followed by a monstrous roar. The next minute was filled with sounds of blaster fire and the screams of the victims of ravenous, unrelenting hunger. Grimly, Dare chuckled:

" _Good eatin', chums."_

" _That's a bad joke."_

" _Eh, its fits."_

" _You know Goldie,"_ Marne chuckled as he wrapped his arm around the Protocol Droid, _"I take it back. Ya ain't so bad in a fight."_

" _Oh, on the contrary,"_ 3PO chuckled embarrassingly, _"I deplore fighting. I was never built to that function."_

" _Don't mean ya ain't good at it."_

" _Strange,"_ the Droid mused, _"I feel as though I've done this before. But I can't seem to recall when."_

Marne chuckled a little at this:

" _Probably too good at yer job so they had ta make ya docile. I hate to see what ya used to be, and that's a compliment, mor caraid."_

" _Friend? I've never had someone call me a friend."_

" _Wait, you understand Gaelin?"_

" _I am programmed to over six million forms of communications."_

" _Well, so much fer bein' unique. I'm disappointed."_

* * *

He felt them before he heard them. Nestled in the shadows, hidden from sight and mind, he watched as the bedraggled crew of officers and soldiers made their way into the hangar. They were a sorry sort, most pelted with scorch marks and wounds that should have put them down long before. But Marek had learned long ago that desperate men were capable of anything, especially the inhuman. It earned them a degree of his respect.

The soldiers stayed back to form a perimeter while the officers proceeded forward to the ship. His hands reached for the blades of his hip. He could take them now, he knew. They wouldn't be able to stop him. And it would be provide the necessary distraction needed for his master to escape, to join him in the fight.

That's when he spotted her.

" _Leia Organa of Alderaan. You've certainly grown."_

He hadn't seen her since the mission of Kashyyyk, when he'd slowly infiltrated the ranks of the Rebellion. She'd been far younger then, not the prominent leader of the Rebellion or its political face. Nevertheless, she still had the same fire of determination that had made her so dangerous the first time they'd met. Now though, that determination was marked by long years of constant war and strife… and loss. That particular bit was what concerned him the most.

Afterall, people don't take too kindly to others blowing up their homeworld, family included. How would she react, he wondered. Instinctually, he drew his saber but stopped himself before he went any further. He sighed, and placed the saber back on his belt.

" _Always assume patience."_

He'd followed his master's orders to the letter in the past. He couldn't afford to do anything less. He had to trust that he knew what he was doing.

* * *

Han was utterly surprised to see the Falcon running. When he got to the loading ramp, he saw why.

" _Luke! What are you doing here?"_

" _Had to hitch a ride. I felt you guys coming."_

When they got closer, they saw the dozens of wounds surrounding his body; the most notable were the long burns Leia knew instinctually were from a lightsaber. She reached out to him, feeling his battered frame as she whispered softly:

" _What happened to you?"_

He didn't say anything at first, but Han guessed the obvious:

" _Looks to me like you had one hell of a fight, kid. So where's the other unlucky bastard?"_

" _Han… Leia,"_ Luke sighed, _"there's something you need to know."_

* * *

Quickly, the wounded were shuffled onto the ramp and up into the Falcon. There, they were moved into anywhere there was room for them. Among the high crates of cargo, Chewbacca set Davos softly onto the floor, his back to the wall. His eyes opened weakly just as the rest of were moved in.

" _My… my bag…"_ his hand reached out for his satchel, but fell short. Chewie immediately retrieved it, reaching his hand in for fresh IV bags and bandages. He smiled down at him.

" _Hurghaha!"_

A shy of a grin reached across his pale green face:

" _Medic… my… job… to worry."_

" _Hurhagh!"_

" _Heh. Do… favor. Take care…"_

He pointed to the other two laid out on stretchers just behind them. He chuckled at him:

" _Burhahh Rauhrr!"_

" _Don't… call me… cripple. I'll… stuff you… I… swear."_

Chewie clutched his heart in mock horror.

" _Gurrar Burrarha!"_

" _I… see… why Dare… likes you…"_

" _Shhh."_

Chewbacca then applied a syringe to his neck and the Durosian's eyes closed softly. Quickly, he checked his tourniquet before applying a make shift sling to keep his amputated leg elevated, reducing blood flow. He changed out his IV bags, one with bacta serum and the other with a constant run of anti-bacterial medications to keep gangrene from taking hold. He then removed a large wool blanket from the shipment crates, draping it around him to keep his body temperature up. Once this was done, he moved to the other two wounded tankers.

Upon a quick examination, he knew there wasn't much he could do. He'd fought in dozens battles across a dozen wars, and on the blasted battlefields had learned how to keep those in his charge breathing just a little longer. But their wounds were beyond his skills. All he truly could do was ensure they would be secure and comfortable for the trip out. He heard a knock at the door, and he turned to see Cal standing in the doorway.

" _How's he doing?"_

Knowing he wouldn't understand him, Chewie simply wavered his hand. He had a chance, but they would have to hurry. He nodded simply:

" _Thank you."_

He turned to leave, but Chewie called him back.

" _What is it?"_

He pointed to his arm.

" _Oh no. They need your attention, not me."_

But he shook his head, and just proceeded to grab him and seat him on a hard cold box, pulling out a long bound of bandages.

" _I don't have a choice, do I?"_

He grinned and simply shook his head.

* * *

" _You better not have done anything screwy with her, kid."_

" _Me? With the Falcon? When have I ever?"_

" _How about the fact I've got a genocidal maniac sitting in my common room?"_

" _I told you—"_

" _Yeah I heard. I still don't like having him on board_ ** _my_** _ship. Don't you remember what he did on Vrogas Vas?"_

" _Of course I do. I_ ** _rammed_** _his TIE, remember?"_

As Han started up the anti-grav sequence, he turned to Leia who was silently sitting co-pilot:

" _I still can't believe you're okay with this considering…"_

He stopped himself midsentence. She looked up at him coldly:

" _You have as much subtlety as Wamp Rat, Han."_

" _Hey I'm sorry,"_ he replied with as much sincerity as he could manage, _"But still—"_

" _We need him,"_ she cut him off, _"As much as I hate to admit it, Luke's right. What he knows is too important to simply throw away… no matter how much he deserves it."_

" _Don't say I didn't warn you."_

" _Noted. Now get us off this planet."_

She then stood from her chair and headed to the door:

" _Where are you going?"_

" _To check on…"_ she wanted to say 'the prisoner', but she hastily changed her mind, _"Ahsoka. And no, don't get up, Luke. You're needed here."_

* * *

" _Maverick to Alpha, do you read? Alpha, due you read?"_

"— _Fer bloody's sake, keep yer damn shirt on, Maverick."_

Cal chuckled softly before continuing:

" _We've secured a ride. What's your ETA, over?"_

"' _bout 3, 4 mikes. We're dealin' with a passenger."_

Cal then heard something, something that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He turned down the hall, seeing nothing but the feeling would not go away.

" _Hurry."_

" _Will do, out."_

He turned back to the hall. The sound was still there. A sound he'd hoped he would never hear again.

" _No…"_ he breathed in horror," _No, not here. Not now."_

That was when he heard the screaming: an onroar of the dying that echoed in his mind that it shut out his world. He shut his eyes tight, his hands plucking over his head as he collapsed onto the floor. He pleaded with the uncaring world:

" _No. No, please no."_

But the memory came anyway.

" _Please! We aren't Rebels! We're— "_

" _You are traitors to the Empire, and you shall be dealt with as such."_

His eyes opened, but he wasn't aboard the Falcon anymore. The world around him became the stale white and gray walls of a diplomatic ship three long years ago.

" _This is a consulate's ship! You have no right— "_

" _You're a long way from Alderaan, Traitor. And you've committed your last slight against the Empire."_

" _You'll all pay for this."_

Cal turned, seeing the stark armor of his men, their weapons at the ready and pitiful remnants of the ship's crew on their knees. Their pleading, pathetic faces haunting him. They hadn't been soldiers, or even armed insurgents. They hadn't even resisted their capture as one by one they were rounded up and marched to the cargo hold.

" _What did you say, Rebel?"_ the Lieutenant snarled from over his shoulder, _"Speak up, if you have the courage."_

A woman rose from the begging lot, old and weary from the countless ragged lines that dotted her face. She looked directly at Cal, like she was seeing through him. She spoke softly, not to him, not to his men… but to him:

" _Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but someday… you will pay for what you've done."_

He heard the breathing echo through the room, saw his shadow wash over him, felt his voice in his mind as he replied:

" _I already have."_

He made a simple gesture, and the LT nodded.

" _Ready weapons. Aim-!"_

Cal didn't hear the rest, didn't feel the recoil in his arm as his blaster went off… he felt numb as one by one they crumpled to the floor. He was conscious of movement all around him, the shuffling of boots and the dragging of bodies… but in that moment, all those years ago millions of miles away he didn't feel real; didn't feel alive. He felt… hollow. He stood stiff and stared down at lifeless corpses that stared back at him; their bare, accusing faces making their mark within the reaches of his soul. Something made him turn, something beyond his control or reasoning; to stare at… him. There wasn't anger in him at that moment, not yet at least.

There was only confusion, only the shock of what he'd just done. He hadn't been afraid to kill; he had fought and slain countless armed men in the past that he thought he'd become numb to killing. But this wasn't just killing. This wasn't the war he'd been taught about; that he'd experienced even mere minutes' prior as they moved through the breach. This had been murder, plain and simple.

His reflection stared back at him from the glare of his armored helm, until it wasn't. Now he was face to face with the man that so many feared and yet respected. A man who'd led his men from the front, saber in hand and in the thick of the chaos. But now the same man who'd made him an executioner. Then he turned and moved out of the room and as he did, he opened his eyes.

* * *

Ahsoka tuned her comm. frequency again but all she got was static. Regardless, she attempted the communication for the fifth time:

" _Fulcrum to Atlas. Atlas, do you read? Come in!"_

Only more static.

" _Blast it,"_ she cursed softly.

" _You're beginning to run out of options, Jedi."_

She turned to face him, more bewildered than anything. He continued:

" _By now, the Executor will have formed a blockade around this planet. No exits. No escape. No means for reinforcements to come to your rescue."_

" _We've gotten out of worse."_

" _Perhaps,"_ he leaned back in his seat, _"but in due time my Legion will make their way here. Even you cannot withstand their numbers."_

" _We'll be long gone by then."_

" _Your optimism in this matter is gravely misplaced. I have never seen a freighter in worse repair,"_ he then leaned forward in his seat, _"You cannot fight… and you cannot run. If you try… everyone aboard this poor excuse of a vessel will die. There will be nothing you can do to change that."_

" _Unless what?"_ she growled softly, _"We surrender to you? That will never happen_ ," she paused, looking across the room before continuing, " _Even you have never managed to catch me in the past. Your soldiers will fare no better."_

" _And now you begin to tire me, apprentice,"_ he replied, a sense of almost boredom in his voice, _"I've heard far too much empty boasting already."_

" _So says the one in binders."_

" _Only for as long as I will it. Such as now."_

" _What are you— "_

Then she felt it. She spun to see another man standing in the doorway. She recognized the bloodied and tattered uniform as one of Rex's Commandoes, the three stripes on his chest indicating his rank. He was battered; his body covered with countless wounds, his left arm wrapped in bandages; looking as though he was going to fall over. But his eyes told a different story all together.

They were full of rage and guilt. A thriving need for vengeance burning hot within the man's brown pupils. She knew the look all too well and when he turned briefly to her, she saw him like a mirror: her own reflection staring hard into her soul. Then he turned back to Vader, and the frenzy in him blared like a forge. Coldly, in a mockery of the discipline that had been drilled into him a lifetime before, he addressed his former superior officer:

" _My Lord."_

She knew what he was going to do. She could stop him in an instant: with a mere thought she could throw him out of the room. But she didn't. She allowed him to draw his blaster, allowed him to bring it right up to Vader's head. She was tempted beyond belief to allow him to take his revenge upon the man who had wronged so many others; to let him have his justice.

But she realized in those spanning seconds that she couldn't. She couldn't let Luke's father die in cold blood. In a heartbeat, she drew her saber. As she did, he fired. Ahsoka dived between the two; her saber moving in an emerald haze contacting the stark crimson bolts and sending them flying around the room.

He ducked from the reflected fire, trying to move around the Togrutan Jedi to get a better shot at him. But as he found his opening, she simply extended her fingertips and his weapon was ripped right out of his hand and into her own.

" _Sergeant, stand down,"_ Ahsoka ordered. But almost as soon as she uttered the words, a thermal detonator was in his hand. When she tried to move, his thumb pressed onto the ignition button and stayed there. She froze immediately. If she tried to take the explosive from him; if his thumb left the button it would go off… and take all of them with it.

" _Get out of my way, Commander,"_ he rasped softly, _"I won't ask again."_

" _Or what? You'll kill us both? And everybody else on this ship?"_

He looked at her wearily.

" _Only if you stay, ma'am,"_ then his eyes moved around the room, and from the subtle nodding of his head Ahsoka knew he was doing mental calculations. He returned to her, _"This room will contain the explosion. Only one of us has to die here,"_ he sighed resigningly, _"and I'd rather it not be you."_

She lowered her blade, her face lightening as she did as she addressed him softly with an outstretched hand:

" _You want him dead. I understand that."_

" _Do you?"_ he asked matter-of-factly.

" _More than you know,"_ she answered with deepest sincerity, _"But… we need him alive. What he knows is too valuable."_

" _That does not excuse what he's done,"_ he cursed cynically, _"or what he will do if he breathes a second longer."_

" _I_ ** _know_** _what he's done,"_ Ahsoka snapped back, the raw sting of loss adding bitterness to her voice; _"I have lost_ _ **family** __because of him."_

" _And I've killed_ ** _innocents_** _because of him!"_

" _Innocents, Sergeant?"_

They both froze. Over the protests of his damaged cybernetics, he rose from his seat; his shadow looming over them and seeming to swallow them both. Slowly, he advanced forward until Ahsoka drew her second saber on him, but he did not seem to notice. Instead, his attention lay solely with him. Him and his accusations.

" _There are… no innocents in war… only fools… and cowards… believe otherwise."_

" _Then I'm both…"_ he replied. It wasn't anger or scorn that lay the edge of his words: it was resignation, it was acceptance, and it was vindication; a man with a purpose set and now journeyed, _"…For believing in_ ** _you_** _. For believing in the lie,"_ his voice started to rise with every syllable until at last he was shouting, _"For believing that honor… that duty, came before my own conscience! For killing the innocent and the guilty: all in one stroke!"_

Vader's response was utterly calm and almost languid:

" _And you would blame me for your apparent lack of bearing?"_

" _I would,"_ Cal snarled, _"_ _ **You** __ordered their deaths."_

" _I have ordered the deaths of many. You'll have to be more specific."_

" _The Tantive IV. Or do you not even remember?"_

" _Ah, a traitor from my own Legion. Rex's doing, I would assume?"_

" _This isn't about Rex!"_ he snarled, _"This is about what you did!"_

" _Is it? Or is it about your own cowardice? Your… inability to bear your own guilty conscience."_

" _ **You** __gave the order!_ ** _You_** _had them murdered!"_

" _And yet you did nothing to prevent it,"_ Vader replied sardonically, _"It is far easier to blame me than to accept that their blood is on_ _your_ _own hands. Not mine."_

" _Then I'll kill you. At least they'll rest easier knowing you're gone."_

" _Then do it, traitor."_

That stunned him. His eyes went wide and Vader smiled behind the mask.

" _You came here to kill me,"_ he continued, _"What are you waiting for?"_

" _Don't listen to him!"_ Ahsoka screamed, but Vader continued his mocking verbal assault, tearing apart his sanity one bit at a time:

" _You have the power to do it. But you won't. You are a coward, traitor. A coward who cannot even face his own demons... Which is why I will leave you alive."_

" _Alive?"_ Cal asked, confused, _"Why?"_

" _To watch as I slaughter every last thing that you love,"_ suddenly Cal's mind was filled with the screams of his people, their faces shown one by one cold and lifeless, _"To make you beg for their lives, to bargain your own for theirs…"_ he stopped, and then he smirked, _"especially… little Zian."_

Then he saw her. Over the mound of corpses, she stood out at the top: her once beautiful face gaunt and putrid, her lively scarlet skin now turned ghastly white. He cradled her in his hands, but a mere moment later she crumpled to ash. Cal's eyes slit as his face basked in furious wrath:

" _You—"_ he snarled, but Vader immediately cut him off:

" _I will make her torment elongated. She will beg for her death. And you will be helpless to stop it."_

As the conversation went, Ahsoka felt Vader pierce into her mind, his voice echoing through her soul:

 _Make your choice, apprentice… before he makes it for you._

 _Why are you doing this!?_

 _You will not kill me because you are afraid to lose my son. So now you must pay the price for it._

 _I won't—_

 _You can let this fool kill me, but you will lose Luke as a result. Or you can save me… and have a death on your precious conscience. It is… the only way._

 _I won't play into your twisted game._

 _Make your choice._

She looked across at Cal. He shook with such rage that the Detonator trembled in his fingers:

" _You… you will not touch her! You won't touch any of them!"_

" _Then kill me, Sergeant Maxim. If you can."_

" _ENOUGH!"_

Everyone in that room was stunned into momentary submission, their conflicts forgotten as they all turned to see Leia Organa standing before them. She glared at Vader, her anger as consuming as Cal's in that moment. She had a blaster in her hand.

" _Your highness,"_ Vader replied with a hint of sarcasm, _"I was wondering when you'd arrive."_

Her face didn't change. She felt the same unrelenting anger she'd felt in orbit above Alderaan, and on the battlefield of Vogras Vas the last time they had as she looked at Ahsoka, and then at Cal, her eyes lightened with the fury within her slowly fading to the typically managed dull ache. When she spoke, she wasn't sure who she was speaking to. Perhaps to Vader, or Ahsoka, or to Cal or perhaps even to herself.

In the end, she concluded, all of them.

" _I've wanted you dead for years,"_ she began, more exhausted and full of weary than anything else, _"I am the last of my kind because of you."_

The memory of that fateful day when millions were snuffed out before her played out; his strong hands the only things keep her from tearing into Tarkin. And for that she hated him even more.

" _I've ordered your death more times than I can count. I've led men to their deaths just for a chance to take my revenge on you. To avenge my family, and all those you've murdered over the years."_

" _And yet… you have failed in your every attempt."_

" _Yes,"_ she replied softly, _"And it's made me realize something. Killing you… it won't bring back the people I loved, or the millions who have died because of this war… or even those felled by your own hand."_

The silence that filled the room soon became unbearable. Cal felt the urge to collapse to the floor, to let his injuries take him into the sweeter darkness where he could know some semblance of peace from the chaos of the entire morning. But he couldn't. He couldn't just let this go. Then Leia broke the silence again:

" _All I can do… is to make sure you don't ruin anymore lives. And that means you, Cal."_

He turned slightly, the effort almost making him faint. But he held himself steady. He had to. And when Leia looked at him she saw the layers of pain and guilt seeming to drag him further and further into a darker place, his eyes full of weary and wrought.

" _I'm not worth saving, ma'am. You don't know what I've done."_

" _I do, I was there on the Tantive IV. I know what happened there."_

" _Then you know why I can't let this go."_

" _I do. But if you do this, if you give into him… you will never come back from it."_

" _But if I don't… he'll haunt me forever."_

" _He's_ _ **our** __prisoner, Cal. He will never hurt anyone else ever again. He will be taken to a facility where we will extract every last bit of information from him. And then we will put him on trial, for the entire galaxy to see him as he truly is,"_ her eyes darted to Vader, _"a broken, shell of an old man. Show them that the galaxy doesn't need to fear him anymore."_

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Leia took him by the shoulder as she spoke softly:

" ** _You_** _don't need to fear him anymore. Let it go."_

Cal stared at Vader, his eyes boring into the lifeless helm before him. Then he turned to Ahsoka, and then back to Leia. He sighed, and slowly nodded his head. He released the ignition button, and then pressed it three separate times in a custom-made sequence. The detonator went silent, and with it the last of his energy was spent.

Unable to stand any further, he collapsed to the floor. He fell to his knees, his shoulder and head looming over lethargically, the detonator rolling away from him.

" _Come on,"_ Leia replied, looping her body under his one good shoulder and pulling him up, plucking up the detonator, _"let's get you somewhere more comfortable."_

" _Thank you,"_ he whispered softly, so softly only Leia could hear him. She opened the door, but turned her head slightly, peering at Ahsoka. Their eyes met, conveying the others meaning. Ahsoka smiled softly and nodded, to which Leia returned the gesture and moved out of the room. Ahsoka stared at the closed door, relief flowing through her as she deactivated her sabers and placed them back on her belt. For once, she felt a certain level of peace.

Then that peace was broken by Vader who uttered simply:

" _Disappointing."_

A rage filled Ahsoka's heart and she spun on her heel, throwing out a power Force Push with an extension of her palms that sent Vader smashing into the wall. The weight of the impacted dented the durasteel plating with a loud _clunk,_ Vader groaning softly as he recovered. Ahsoka fumed with renewed ire, cold breath moving through her clenched teeth in subtle, constrained draws. Then her body relaxed just enough, standing straight and tall in her stoic form.

" _Don't do that again,"_ she warned. Vader simply shook his head and moved into the chair:

" _Oh... I am only getting started."_

* * *

They came out of the side entrance. Three bloodied and battered armored soldiers and a single golden protocol droid, running out under a hail of blaster fire.

" _Oh fer bloody sake,"_ the shorter of them shouted back at the hall, _"tis was jus' a damn prank, ya piss tossers!"_

" _No it wasn't!"_ a rough voice bellowed back, punctuated by further blaster fire. Then spun and fired back into the hall for a precious few seconds as the protocol droid waddled clumsily out of the line of fire:

" _Oh dear! Why couldn't it have been R2 stuck in this situation!? He lives for danger! I could've been in a well refined Senatorial establishment or a Queen's aid! Wait, was I already one?"_

The tallest of the bunch cocked his head:

" _Yer tellin' me you were hangin' out with royalty_ _ **and** __bein' an expected virtuoso of the utterly ridiculous crap we happened ta be in? What else ya been doin' with your illustrious life, eh?"_

The third one with red lekku's poking out of her war helmet chuckled:

" _Not getting jealous, are we?"_

" _Me? Jealous? Perish the thought."_

" _Well, sir,"_ the droid about faced, _"I might say that I—"_

Then suddenly a scarlet bolt struck him in the arm and with a scream he crumpled to the floor. The tall cursed madly as he retaliated with furious vengeance:

" _Oy you bastards! Pick on someone yer own damned speed! C'mon!"_

As he laid down covering fire, the other two ran over to the fallen droid, who cried in utter shock:

" _Oh dear! I've been shot!"_

" _Yea', looks ta me yer'll have ta get a new one."_

" _I suggest red."_

" _Lass, if ya had yer way, everythin' 'ould be red."_

" _And the universe would be better for it. Come on, let's get you on your feet."_

" _Oh thank you, madam!"_

Then the Twi'lek reached for her comm.:

" _Maverick this is Stalker! Maverick, come in!"_

" _Stalker, this is Princess Leia. Where are you?"_

" _We're a corridor and a half from the hangar. Where's Maverick, over?"_

" _He's…"_ there was a silence on the radio, _"recovering. Make your way here, we're getting ready to take off."_

" _Roger, out,"_ she shook her head, _"no need to tell us twice."_

" _Marne, ya bloody idiot! Stop playin' with the gits and help us move 'em!"_

" _Move me?"_

" _Sorry Goldie. At your pace, they'll catch us long before we get to the hangar. Alright Marne, grab his leg."_

" _My leg—whoa!"_

The tallest two of the Rebel Troopers then proceeded to grab each of his thighs and hoisted him off the ground, then took off running.

" _Jeez, yer heavier than ya look, Goldie! Oh blast, here they come."_

Starkiller perched himself, ready to make his move. Within a minute the troopers soon spilled out into the hangar: running like mad with the protocol droid cradled in their collective arms as the shorter of the three formed a rearguard, firing off rounds into the doorway. They soon ran past their position and then he stepped out, extending his hand as he did.

" _Come on, we're almost there—whoa!"_

Suddenly C-3PO was plucked from them, flying right past them. They spun to see a tall, dark robbed figure wearing a gleaming warhelmet standing before them like a banshee from a dying man's last moments. With his arm outstretched, C-3PO flew right into his hand at the neck.

" _Oh dear! Help! Help!"_

" _Oh be quiet."_

He then tossed him aside, igniting his lightsaber as the Commandoes drew their blasters. Quickly they opened fire, remembering the tactics Commander Rex had taught them about the Jedi Purge almost thirty years prior and as such moved at different firing angles but all concentrating their fire on his lightsaber. The trick was to attempt to overwhelm his upheld guard with concentrated rapid fire while insuring any redirection would be difficult with them spread out. Starkiller absorbed and deflected the incoming blaster fire, bobbing and weaving to make himself a harder target. Then with an outreached hand he plucked the smaller of the bunch and then tossed him right into one of his comrades.

Then he felt a sudden pain to his shoulder that almost knocked him to the floor. He spun to see the Twi'le, having snuck around his flank with her sniper rifle raised on him. He snarled and moved forward as she fired again and again, aiming for his legs and his arms. He however deflected each with ease, and then he struck forward in a wide arc. Zian, however, rolled to side, the blade hacking apart the ground where she'd been a mere second earlier. However, when she rose to continue fighting Starkiller grabbed her by her helm and tossed across the room; impacting a wall with a loud _crunch._

She crumpled to the floor unconscious; a long crack forming along her back plate from the heavy blow. He then advanced on the other two, extending his finger tips to cook them alive. Then he heard the bellow of a Wookie and turned to see one staring him from the ramp of the Millennium Falcon. With a roar of retribution, he raised his bowcaster and fired; the high-powered plasma bolts echoing their deadly reports as they smashed into his upheld guard. The blows of each one slammed him back considerable, making deflecting each one taxing on his strength as Chewie marched forward firing away at him.

Starkiller was soon forced to duck and dodge from the unrelenting hail of high explosive bolts.

" _Gurhaaha!"_ He roared, motioning his arm to the Falcon as he continued laying down covering fire.

" _No need ta tell us twice, big guy!"_ Marne shouted as he plucked his brother from the ground. Soon they contributed their own fire at the Dark Assassin as they moved across the room to recover their fallen comrades.

" _What did I ever do to deserve this!?"_ C-3PO cried out as he desperately tried to wriggle himself off the floor, but Marne helped him up.

" _We'll ask that when we're aways from here. And after a hot meal."_

" _I could go for an oil bath,"_ 3PO chuckled as he and Marne limped back to the Falcon followed by Dare who despite his short height shouldered Zian without too much effort. Across the way, Chewie continued to pour fire at the assassin, who in turn continued to withdraw and block. Then he spotted movement to his right and he turned to see a growing army of Snowtroopers pouring through the hangar like ants on a Termite Hive. He obliterated the first few who came running but they soon pushed him in a corner and kept him surpassed. In the cockpit, Han and Luke performed the last of their checklists and only needed the word to takeoff.

Leia came on the line:

" _Han, the last of them are on board—"_

Then a man with a strange accent interrupted her:

" _Solo, yer mate is pinned by the bucketheads! We need ya ta delay takeoff till we can get 'em."_

" _Han, there's no time. If we don't go now, we may not be able to escape!"_

Unsurprisingly, Han replied immediately:

" _Leia, we're not leaving him."_

He turned to Luke:

" _I'll fly, you shoot."_

He smiled and nodded:

" _Sounds like a plan."_

Luke ran out of the room and made his way to the bottom gunnery turret. Han came back over the line:

" _Boys stay where you are but get ready to catch 'em. We're gonna do a flyby scoop."_

" _A scoop!? Hadn't had ta do that since Warranty Warren pulled that crazy stunt back on Sullust!"_

" _Whatever. Just get ready to move."_

" _Gotchya, bossman."_

* * *

Luke slid down the ladder and strapped himself in, plugging into the gunnery position and pulling up the targeting computers along with the analog controls. Memories of the fight after escape the Death Star flowed through him and he smiled a little at the familiarity. Then the ship started to rise and he came back to reality. He swung the turret around and brought it over to face the enemy. There were atleast thirty enemy troopers between them and Chewie. He wasted no time chewing them apart.

The twin blaster cannons hacked a long path through the gathered enemy as the ship loomed forward. Darne and Marne held onto the ramp, firing at any other targets of interests not being utterly annihilated by the Falcons fire. Han skillfully flew the Falcon between the two forces, dropping low to the ground as the two Rebels bellowed for Chewie to run. Under the hail of blaster fire, he leapt up to the ramp, catching both the Commandoes outstretched hands but almost taking them down with him. With effort, they pulled him up onto the ramp.

" _Han, we're on. Go!"_

" _Do you notice the hangar doors are still up!?"_

" _Hang on,"_ Luke replied and applied the cannons to the hangar doors, blasting a sizable hole in them, _"now we can go."_

" _Finally, been meaning to get off this ice sheet for months now."_

 _"You and me both, Han."_

The Falcon was soon gone in a matter of moments. From the ruins of the hangar, Starkiller rose from the ashes, watching the ship go. One of squad leaders ran up to him.

" _Sir, the blockade's been established. Shall I order fighters to bring them down?"_

Starkiller stared at the still dormant receiver in his hand and shook his head.

" _Order the fleet to let them go… but tell them to put on a good show."_

" _My Lord?"_

" _In time, we will follow them right back to their fleet. And the Emperor will have more than just a few more Jedi to his collection."_

* * *

In orbit around Hoth, the Millennium Falcon bobbed and weaved as it was pursued by the first wave of the blockade in the form of TIE Fighters. The ship buckled under the multiple impacts, but she was sturdy and had been through a hell of a lot worse. However, she wouldn't last very long against the full force of a squadron of Star Destroyers.

" _This bucket of bolts won't get us past this fleet,"_ Leia snided, but Han shook it off:

" _She's still got a few tricks up her sleeves. Plus, a couple days' work should make the difference… should."_

He hit the intercom.

" _Hold on folks, this might get bumpy."_

He hit the hyperdrive panel, and after a few moments spluttering, the ship entered the alter space and was gone in the blink of an eye. Now out of the range of the Imperial's jamming devices, Ahsoka now accessed her secured comms.:

" _Fulcrum to Atlas, do you read?"_

From the secured hologram projection that appeared as a simple silhouette, General Cracken sounded his relief:

" _Fulcrum! Thank the Force! We thought you were lost with—"_

" _Atlas, I need you to prep the Retribution."_

" _The Retribution? But why?"_

" _Atlas, there's no easy way of saying so I'm just going to say it plainly. Red,"_ Luke's callsign within Rebel Intelligence, _"and I have captured Butcher."_

There was a sudden silence on the other side of the line before he asked the obvious:

" _How?"_

" _Very painfully. We're making the jump from Hoth."_

" _Understood Fulcrum. The Retribution will be ready by the time you arrive."_

" _Thank you, Atlas."_

" _This is a turning point, Fulcrum. What you and Red accomplished is nothing short of magnificent. You should be proud."_

" _Yes,"_ she sighed, looking across at her prisoner, _"if we live long enough that is."_


	10. Answers

Chapter Nine: Answers

* * *

The Falcon exited hyperspace in a sudden shower of blue and white that soon dissipated, giving way to the blackness of space… and the Rebel Fleet. As the Falcon approached, a single Hammerhead-Class Escort Frigate soon moved out to meet them, it's dozens of turbo lasers and missile pods standing ready to annihilate the single ship. At the helm, a radio message barked:

 _"_ _Unknown vessel, this is the Syndulla. You are in restricted space. Drop speed and identify yourself or we will open fire. You have ten seconds to respond."_

At the front, Ahsoka felt a certain level of pain within her troubled heart. The ship, one of the last remnants of the old Rebel cell she'd been a part of less than a decade ago, was named after a friend and comrade. One who'd given her life in the service of her ideals in a battle that had saved the Rebellion from destruction. The memory of that terrible battle, and her last war cry before burning up still haunted her to that very moment. Worse, were the memories that came after.

The family she'd taken up with, slowly being torn apart both from without, and within. She closed her eyes and forced the memories back into a place they belonged. She reached for the comm. mike and responded:

 _"_ _Syndulla, this is Fulcrum. We have a priority one target on board and a lot of wounded."_

 _"_ _Syndulla copies. The Retribution and Redemption are on stand by and are awaiting you. Welcome home."_

 _"_ _Yeah,"_ Han chuckled, _"home sweet home."_

 _"_ _Grurah rar rahr!"_

 _"_ _Yeah, I know it could've been worse! But trust me, that was as bad as that time on Kessel."_

 _"_ _Raurrar grahh!"_

 _"_ _Worse!? What do you mean worse!?"_

Ahsoka shook her head and soon left the cockpit, making her way back to her charge. At the closed entrance, she found Luke standing guard, his arms crossed. She walked up to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, smiling slightly as he did. At first, Ahsoka beamed brightly from within, until she saw his eyes.

Though hidden, she saw the coldness in them. The distrust. And it made her freeze slightly. And as Luke noticed her micromovements, his smile slowly vanished to something more neutral.

 _"_ _Are you okay, Luke?"_ she asked him, trying hard to keep the despair out of her voice. Luke just shook his head, and stared at her blankly. Though she knew he too was trying to suppress his own warring emotions, she felt and heard the accusing iciness in his voice as he replied:

 _"_ _Dunno, Master. You tell me."_

She stared at him hurtfully, her lips making words that had no sound or meaning. This was the moment she knew had been coming for over two years, but had hoped beyond hope would never come. But here it was, and she didn't know what to do or say that could change that. In her heart, despite her successes in training the boy, in practically molding him from the lost and confused boy to a man she felt pride in, she felt in her heart that she'd failed him. Felt that she'd doomed him to the same path as the man within the room.

She didn't know what to think. How to address the growing, supplanted feelings she had for the boy she'd taken as her own. Feelings beyond the simple bond student and teacher, friend or mentor. And it was this confusion that added to the growing fear within her. She didn't want to lose him. But in the end, she felt she just might.

She didn't bother trying to disguise these feelings. These inner thoughts. She'd lied to him enough. And Luke felt every single one, save for the answer that he wanted. There was an anger within him. An anger he did not know or why it was there, but it was.

It made him want to shout at her. To demand the truth. To demand why she'd **lie** to him. To know if it was all a **lie**. If everything between them was a **lie**.

He'd felt a grim distrust for the woman who'd given his life meaning. Felt a gnawing antagonism for her. But when he looked into those large, painfilled blue eyes: he felt the sharp blade of guilt and self-hatred twist within him. How dare he think so ill of her, he thought bitterly to himself. How dare he assume that everything they'd been through, the feelings both good and bad, were not legitimate or real.

But was she lying to him? Was all of it, all the stories, all the lessons, his parents… was it all a lie? If so, why? He soon found himself staring back into her eyes, and she into his. Neither of them knew what would come next, but in the end, they didn't have to.

 _"_ _We're coming up on the Retribution,"_ Leia said at their shoulders as she passed them by, _"we'll need to move_ _ **him**_ _soon."_

Luke nodded to her, suppressing his emotions, and his questions deep within him. He would ask those when there was a time and place. He felt Ahsoka doing the same, the stoic figure returning to replace her vulnerable self as she replied:

 _"_ _We'll be ready."_

* * *

The Falcon soon made final approach as it neared the rest of the fleet, the _Syndulla_ close behind. Ahead, a convoy of countless transports, three Nebula-B Class Escort Cruisers (one a medical frigate marked with a large red cross), over a dozen Blockade Runners and a small collection of Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carriers. These were another relic from the Lothal Cell, still in use after being taken from the Empire over the skies of Ryloth ten years prior. From them, and throughout the rest of column were a motley collection of a half dozen wings of X, A and Y-Wings, as well as a small force of old Z-95 Headhunters on approach. Soon though, a single Blockade Runner, adorned with black markings instead of the standard red or blue, came into view.

This was the Retribution. A development made necessary with the continued threat of the Empire's Force-sensitive agents, and the brain child of a man now shunned for his brutal methods as an operative in the field. This ship contained several cells made especially for containing Force-sensitives for transport to more secure black-sites, and possessed the appropriate crew for the job. Now the question of whether it being able to hold someone as dangerous as Lord Vader was a matter still up in the air. The ship had been used only once to imprison a Force-sensitive spy sent by the Empire.

Her objective at the time was to acquire Luke Skywalker either through coercion or kidnapping. For six months, she'd been on assignment, and had it not been for the efforts of Ahsoka Tano and Leia Organa, she very well might have succeeded. _Retribution_ had been her home for a month, and had of course escaped during the transfer from ship to prison. She'd stolen an X-Wing, but was promptly blasted as she made her escape into hyperspace. The remains of the ship were found on a desolate planet, but her body was never recovered.

Now, it would serve the same purpose for the Dark Lord of the Sith. The Falcon made her way to the side docking port of the Retribution, and within seconds had locked into place. On board, a dozen men wearing the dark armored uniforms of Fleet Prison Troopers ran to the docking hallway, each carrying either DLT-19 or RT-97c heavy repeating blasters. They formed a holding guard on either side of the doorway, each ready to spray the door if need be. As they did, a single man approached. He was tall, and somewhat bulky, with shrewd face and balding head.

Along the side of his left cheek running from the tip of his mouth, to the corner of his cheek bone and up to his eyebrow was vicious looking scar that had been given to him by a Commando Droid. He stopped at a half dozen yards to the bulkhead and halted, scowling at it and whatever laid on the other side. This hadn't been the first time he'd held prisoners. A time before he'd been the warden of the infamous Sunspot Prison before it's untimely closing, home to some of the worst Imperial prisoners imaginable from genocidal officers to war-junky black operatives, criminals and smugglers, even one or two Moff's during his time. Now he was here, about to play host to something a lot worse than anything he'd ever imprisoned before.

There was a sudden hiss at the door, and he knew the Falcon had docked with his ship. The men on either side of him raised their blasters, their barrels pointed directly at the bulkhead. Then with a shower of compressed air, it opened, revealing Leia Organa. She stepped through, and the Warden saluted her immediately:

 _"_ _Your highness,"_ he curtseyed, his voice baled and craggy, _"welcome to the Retribution."_

 _"_ _Warden Greer,"_ Leia saluted back, _"I haven't seen you since the Sunspot."_

He smiled slightly:

 _"_ _Yes ma'am. Quite the time, wasn't it? Though not as bad as what I heard y'all had on Hoth."_

He then clapped his hands together:

 _"_ _So, I hear you have a guest for me."_

 _"_ _We do."_

No sooner than she said this than he appeared in the doorway. Greer's eyes went wide at the sight of him, and the guards grew a might bit twitchier with their weapons. While they knew exactly **who** they'd be transporting, it still couldn't suppress the shock that they would be transporting him. Darth Vader stepped through the door, the subtle whine of his cybernetics marking his approached. He was flanked by Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, their sabers drawn but not activated. The guards followed his advancing frame with their weapons, all prepared to bury him under a haze of scarlet fire should he attempt anything of the sort. Vader, however, did not even bother to look upon these men and instead continued his begrudging pace.

Greer looked up at the towering figure. Despite him being battered as hell and in binders, the man was still as intimidating as all the news had shown. And in person, frightening. He cleared his throat and addressed him with a smile:

 _"_ _Lord Vader, welcome to your new home. You will be here as briefly as we can manage, or until we can find an appropriate hole to toss you into. Until then, you will be confined to your cell. All visitation, and that includes interrogation, will go through me. Oh, and should you try to escape, my men won't hesitate to turn you to ash. Do we understand each other?"_

Vader stared at him blankly, and Greer cleared his throat again:

 _"_ _Well, I guess it doesn't matter. Your old life ends here. Your new one, hopefully full of pain and misery, starts now. Gentlemen, and ladies, if you'll follow me."_

He then spun on his heel and started heading down the hall. Everybody else followed in his wake, the heavily armed guards close behind. Vader's eyes moved about the stark white and gray walls, the many refined reflected surfaces dotting them. Every then again, he'd notice subtle square panels in the floors, roofs and walls. Greer remarked:

 _"_ _This ship was designed to be an eternal fortress. Every passage, every room, a veritable death trap to_ _ **anyone**_ _trying to escape or trying to_ _ **break**_ _in."_

Vader knew all too well what they were. No doubt sentry turrets and booby-traps to be sprung at the first sign of an alarm.

 _"_ _Guy who did this place really did his homework,"_ Greer commented, _"what was his name? Strike?"_

 _"_ _Shrike,"_ Leia replied, a hint of repressed ire in her voice, _"Jacen Shrike. And so he should."_

 _"_ _Why's that?"_ Luke asked, to which Ahsoka answered:

 _"_ _He was a Jedi Hunter. Well, among other things."_

 _"_ _You knew him?"_

 _"_ _A long time ago."_

They passed by more and more hallways, and they got a chance to see that even the supposed non-combatants were armed. All carried blasters, some even shock-batons electric compositors.

 _"_ _Take a good look, boys and girls. Everybody on this ship's been equipped to the task. Anybody who wants to take this ship will need to bring an_ _ **army**_ _."_

 _"_ _Let's hope so,"_ Leia whispered to herself. Now they passed through a bulkhead door, and everybody noticed the subtle blue hue to it. Greer smiled as he produced a stun-baton and smacked the door with it. There was a sudden crackle of discharged energy that rippled like a stone thrown into a pond.

 _"_ _Ray shielded. Could take a rocket at point blank, and still hold its own. Haven't tested it against a lightsaber,"_ he smirked at his prisoner, _"but I wouldn't take my chances, if I was you."_

Again, he did not respond. He stared blankly at the Warden, and once again it made him feel a might bit uneasy. He shook his head, and removed his glove, placing his hand on a palm print scanner. An eye probe then appeared from the corner, asking:

 _"_ _Password?"_

 _Penance_ , Greer mouthed.

 _"_ _Accepted."_

The Ray-shield dropped and the door opened.

 _"_ _Welcome to Lockup."_

They passed through more hallways, again marked by more subtle, square plates. Then they came across what Vader guessed to be the back of the ship. They reached one more Ray-shielded door, and the same procedure went by. The door opened to reveal a darkened hallway. They then marched in, and Vader noted its contents. At the very end looked to be a control room, with two technicians at work at monitors and comp. screens.

To either sides of the control room were four separate rooms. They stopped to the one marked #1. Greer signaled, and the heavy blast door came apart at a double layered X. Inside was a long white room with another long blast door, except this one had a plas-glass pane in it. Once again, this room was covered by a red hued Ray-shield.

Greer waved at the camera, and the shield dropped. After this, the containment door rose to reveal the cell within.

 _"_ _Normally, we'd have accommodations such as filth disposal, but from the notes we've gotten on your suits functions, you clearly won't be needing that."_

The room was a 6-by-8 padded room that was completely covered in more of the red hued shielding. The only other thing in the room was a bed. There were marks of other things being in the cell originally, but these had obviously been removed much earlier.

 _"_ _If you'll do the honors,"_ Greer gestured to Luke and Ahsoka. She stepped forward, turning him about and unbinding his bonds. Vader loomed over her, staring first down at her and then over across at Luke. Simply, to the both, he remarked:

 _"_ _We will meet again soon, Jedi. I guarantee it."_

 _"_ _I guess we will,"_ Luke replied, staring back at him distantly. Vader smiled at the look of suppressed confusion, anger and guilt in the boy's eyes. And even more so at the guise of disgust and loathing in hers. With a curse, she shoved Vader into the room with a push. When he was in, the door closed and the shielding went back up.

 _"_ _Oh, should you attempt anything stupid, such as trying to 'Force' your way out? You should know that each of these cells are ejectable, and will spill their contents into space. Ah yes, I know your suit will provide protection from the vacuum. But tell me, how well will they protect you from this ship's cannons?"_

Vader didn't seem to be listening. Instead, he moved about the room, observing every nook and cranny. His hands ran along the walls, leaving trailing prints against the red energy. After a while, he finally shook his head, and sat down cross-legged in the center of the room. As he bowed his head, the two Jedi could feel him attempting to enter the Force beyond the imprisonment of the cell. While they could feel a trace of his presence, it was far weaker than it'd been in the hangar.

While no true material object could ever hope to truly block one's connection to the Force, this room did enough that he certainly wouldn't be able to call for help anytime soon. A fact Vader understood almost immediately. But it didn't matter. He'd waited four, long years for this moment. He could afford to wait a little longer.

All he had to do now was be patient. It was, after all, as the Force willed it, wasn't it? Yes, yes it was.

* * *

The ramp hit the deck with a loud thud as the cobble of bedraggled and disheveled masses limped their way through onto the hangar grounds. Those who could not walk were carried by the arms of their brothers in arms, the men and women some knew, others had only made chance acquaintance mere hours ago. But in the end, it did not matter. They'd survived a hell on earth when so many others became the blasted specs upon the falling snow. When all but them had fallen.

It at least gave them all something in common.

 _"_ _Been talkin' about it with the boys,"_ Lieutenant Mentz spoke as he hefted Cal's arm over his shoulder, holding him steady as they marched forward, _"Next chance we get, we're buyin' out a bars worth for you an' your boys."_

 _"_ _Gurrah rar!"_ Chewbacca roared as he marched alongside them, cradling the still body of Davos. When Mentz looked up at him, the big Wookie grinned back and at this, he understood him plainly. He cracked a long smile:

 _"_ _Don't worry. You're invited too. Granted ya might need more than a bar."_

At that, the Wookie chuckled.

 _"_ _Just doing our jobs,"_ Cal replied weakly. Mentz just continued to smile at him:

 _"_ _Mebbe, but you got my boys an' a whole lot more off that frozen grave. We owe you indefinitely for that."_

 _"_ _Sure,"_ Cal whispered.

 _"_ _Ah, 'on't ya listen ta the ol' sourpuss 'ere, Leftenant!"_ Dare smirked up at him, wiggling his mustache as he did, _"Man's too highly an' noble ta accept 'ifts an' favors! I on ta other-hand 'ould gladly take yer proposal!"_

 _"_ _My dwarven friend, you've got yourself a deal."_

 _"_ _Jus' be sure ta be far away when my little brother gets goin',"_ Marne chuckled, _"he can be a right terror with right 'mount inebriation in him! Why, I think the las' time he burned down the bloody brothel!"_

 _"_ _Bollucks, ya gold-haired pansy!"_

 _"_ _On what part?"_

 _"_ _Both. Only minutes 'part, you an' I. An' second, twas you who started that fire in the first place!"_

Marne's face lit up with indignation as he swore at him in his native Gaelin:

 _"_ _Carson a tha sibh luidhe prick! Bu chòir dhomh gus gus a bhreabadh sibh mar ball-coise!"_

Smirking, Dare cursed right back:

 _"_ _Chan eil mi ghearradh mus do na bàlaichean agus d 'ghlùinibh, cuideachd!"_

 _"_ _What are they saying?"_ Han whispered over to C-3PO, who promptly shook his head:

 _"_ _You really don't want to know, sir."_

 _"_ _Trust… me,"_ Cal replied with strained breath, _"not the worst they've said."_

Ahead of them a small army of medics arrived with gurneys and stretchers. They exchange began as Chewbacca handed Davos onto the first in line, patting him lightly on the head as he was quickly scuttled away. One by one, the rest were quickly filled and moved out. Marne plucked the unconscious Zian onto the next, and Cal onto the one after, Marne chuckling as he did:

 _"_ _Got that right, Sarge."_

Cal looked up at him annoyingly:

 _"_ _Don't call me that."_

 _"_ _Sure thin',"_ he grinned down at him, _"Sarge."_

Cal smiled back slightly, but that quickly disappeared when he turned his head to see Zian lain numb and still across from him. Dare patted him on his shoulder, beaming fully as he did:

 _"_ _Don' ya worry, Sàirdseant. They'll 'ake goo' care of ya both."_

Cal smiled at the pair of them:

 _"_ _Don't go anywhere without us."_

 _"_ _You've got our word on that, Sarge. We'll be 'ere."_

And then they were carted away down the hallway to join the hundreds of others in urgent care. More medics appeared, directing the lot to another room where they could be dressed for their own wounds. From the back at the column, standing before the Falcon's loading, Ahsoka watched the gaggle of battle-worn soldiers make their way around the corner with the staff tending to them. All except for Luke, who stood at the corner, looking back her. Try as she might, she couldn't read the multitude of emotions in his forlorn face.

It was like a jumbled, confusing blur. Indifferentiable from one to the other. And that scared her the most.

 _Ahsoka._

She turned her head, like a distant whisper the voice came and vanished. Then she heard it again, and in her soul she knew who it was:

 _Why did you leave?_

 _"_ _Anakin,"_ she whispered to herself, closing her eyes as she did, _"I'm… I'm so sorry…"_

 _Are you?_

She opened her eyes in a flash. When she turned back to Luke, he was nowhere to be seen. She stared glumly at the vacant wall, her body feeling cold like a statue.

 _"_ _Are you okay?"_

She turned to see Leia looking at her with the upmost concern written in her eyes. She shook her head, drooping as she did.

 _"_ _No, I'm not."_

 _"_ _Hey, it's okay,"_ Leia then embraced her warmly, holding her close as soothed, _"we made it. We're alive."_

 _"_ _At what cost?"_

She looked at her strangely:

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _I— "_ she froze midsentence, and then abruptly broke away, disappearing down the hall. Leia stared out after her, and then flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder:

 _"_ _Hey, easy. It's just me."_

 _"_ _I'm sorry Han,"_ she stared back at the hallway, _"I'm worried for her. Ever since we captured…_ _ **him**_ _, she hasn't been the same."_

 _"_ _I know. But we've seen what he can do. I don't think you come out of a run-in, let alone a fight with_ _ **him,**_ _and come out the same."_

 _"_ _I don't think it's quite that simple, Han."_

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _Vader… killed her master. Luke's father."_

 _"_ _I know that,"_ he nodded, _"she told both of us. What are you getting at?"_

 _"_ _We have him in custody. They should be… I don't know, happy or something. But instead, they're both so… distant."_

 _"_ _Are you?"_

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _Are you happy that we have_ _ **him**_ _in lockup?"_

 _"_ _I—no, I mean yes."_

 _"_ _Are you really?"_

Her head drooped, her eyes closing as she did.

 _"_ _No. Being around him, even here… makes my skin crawl."_

 _"_ _Then you have your answer—hey,"_ he held her hands in his own, _"you're trembling."_

 _"_ _Am I?"_ she asked, her voice straining as she did. She looked up at him, and Han felt as though she was going to cry. It felt so strange to him. All the time he'd known her, she'd always been strong, always stoic and never once showing a moment of vulnerability. Yet here, he felt that well-constructed image beginning to crack and splinter before his very eyes.

She was only human after all, and after being reminded of all her loss… he realized that it wasn't strange at all. He held her close, her face against his shoulder as he felt her beginning to sob. He wanted to say something, anything to cheer her up. But in the end, he had no words. Then again, he didn't need them either.

* * *

Within the command center of _Redemption,_ Generals Cracken and Rieekan stood before the holo-net transmission table, awaiting the eventual arrival of the other key members of their emergency military meeting. The two men looked at each other apprehensively, then they heard the projectors kick in. Seconds later, the fading blue images of Admiral Ackbar and Chief of State Mon Mothma appeared before the pair. Immediately, the two soldiers saluted their superiors but Mothma on the spot put up a hand:

 _"_ _At ease, you two war dogs,"_ she chuckled drily before beckoning all of them to sit, _"now do you care to tell us why you've called this meeting?"_

Cracken was the first to respond:

 _"_ _Ma'am, to be completely blunt, during the evacuation of Echo Base, Commanders Skywalker and Tano engaged and_ _ **captured**_ _Lord Vader."_

Both Mon Calamari and Human eyes went wide in shock. Cracken continued:

 _"_ _That is why I requested the Retribution be brought here."_

 _"_ _We are to assume he is in a cell, as we speak?"_ Ackbar croaked, to which Cracken nodded.

 _"_ _Aye, sir. Safe and secure."_

Mothma stared at the table in front of her, silently contemplating the situation that had unveiled itself before them. She knew this was a turning point after the news of a near disastrous battle that had almost crippled the Rebellion. But now, at what cost?

 _"_ _How soon can we expect the Retribution to ship out?"_

 _"_ _In three days, ma'am. The ship's still suffering power fluctuations managing_ _ **both**_ _its hyperdrive and the internal security measures. They were still under repairs when I ordered them here. At your request, I'd like to keep the fleet here for now until she's ready for a jump."_

The senior officials looked at each other warily. Time was of the essence. No doubt word of the Dark Lord's capture would have spread to the Emperor's many sinister agents and they would be on the hunt for him. But in the end, they knew that with the man who'd single handily brought down the Republic's greatest protectors within the span of less than a decade, there could be no expense more given. Ackbar then noticed Rieekan stewing silently in his chair:

 _"_ _You don't approve, Caliest?"_

He stared at all the members of the conference room before he stood from his chair, leaning over the table. Gravely, he spoke:

 _"_ _I cannot deny that his capture was a victory. But, we suffered over a thousand casualties on Hoth, lost exactly three transports and an escort cruiser. Countless amounts of equipment and wargear had to be left on the planet. Already I am receiving news that the majority of our fleet is scattered and on the run. Is this true, admiral?"_

He nodded grimly:

 _"_ _The Imperial fleet has been pursuing us across the galaxy after our losses on Concordia. We've attempted multiple offenses, but for every victory we gain we lose more of our forces."_

 _"_ _Forces that we cannot replenish,"_ the general concluded, _"right now, our only option is to run. To continue retreating until the Imperials lose our scent. But Vader's capture complicates things. Cracken,"_ he turned to face his opposite number, _"while I do have the upmost faith in your intelligence network, can you without a shred of doubt tell me that the Imperial's won't discover us_ _ **before**_ _the Retribution is ready to move?"_

Cracken contemplated his answer. The truth was he didn't know. But the look on his face all but confirmed his answer:

 _"_ _The Imperials will hunt us down looking for him. And we won't have the strength to hold them off."_

 _"_ _What would you suggest we do, Caliest?"_ Ackbar asked, _"Dump his body into space?"_

 _"_ _In a manner of speaking."_

 _"_ _Sir, I can in all honesty say that would be a mistake,"_ Cracken predictably answered, _"Vader is second-only to the Emperor himself, and the Supreme Commander of the Imperial military."_

 _"_ _Indeed,"_ Ackbar concurred, _"his knowledge on enemy fleet movements alone would be invaluable to winning this war."_

 _"_ _But at what cost?"_ Rieekan countered, _"How many ships and lives do we have to lose until we can get him to talk?"_

 _"_ _You've never been afraid to spend lives in pursuit of victory,"_ Cracken replied, _"why is this any different?"_

 _"_ _I may spend lives, but I never waste them. Protecting him would be nothing short of wasting resources, and the capability of this fleet."_

 _"_ _So would wasting the information in his head."_

 _"_ _We also have to think of the political victory,"_ Ackbar added, _"his trial and execution would send a message stronger than a hundred victories to the Empire."_

Rieekan shook his head in despair:

 _"_ _You two think too much on a glamourous future, ignoring the very danger that_ _ **thing**_ _puts us in! Why am I the only one with any sense around here!?"_

 _"_ _Gentlemen,"_ Mon Mothma interrupted, _"I don't want us to tear ourselves apart over this matter. I've listened to each of your arguments. Rieekan, I understand your concerns all too well. The cost of keeping him may be more than we can spend."_

 _"_ _So you agree with me, ma'am?"_

 _"_ _I didn't say that. I also agree that what this man knows is utterly invaluable, and as Gial pointed out, his political contribution would be a blow dear to the Empire."_

The three of them stared at her in silence as she considered her next words carefully. After a span, she spoke:

 _"_ _But we are not dealing with just a military or political figure. This is a Lord of the Sith, one whose power we simply could never fully understand. As such, I feel the decision regarding him should not be left entirely up to us,"_ she looked up at Cracken, _"how soon could Commander Tano join us?"_

Cracken shook his head:

 _"_ _She and Commander Skywalker are still recovering from their bout with Vader. From what the medics tell me, if they didn't have the Force with them… well, I shudder to think what we'd do without them."_

 _"_ _Indeed. When she is ready, send for her."_

 _"_ _Yes ma'am."_

The holo-net then cut out, leaving the two men alone. Rieekan turned to Cracken as he headed out the door:

 _"_ _You better be right about this. I'm not losing any more men because of him."_

 _"_ _You and me both, general. You and me both."_

* * *

She groaned as she slipped out of the tattered remains of her flight suit. As it crumpled to the floor she felt the burning ire rage anew among the burns dotting her body. She held in her scream, remembering the lesson Rex had taught her to ignore pain:

 _"_ _Pain is an abstract thought, Ahsoka. It is imagined, therefor it can be controlled and with the right will, removed. All you have to do is trick your mind into believing it's not there."_

She created a mental construct, a box, and with all her will forced the fire within her into the box. There, the lid closed shut and while the pain did not completely disappear, it became something she could ignore. Allow her to focus on tending to her wounds. It hadn't been the first time she had to treat injuries of the sort. That was why she denied the medics attention, seeing as there were hundreds more who could use their expertise.

She removed her undergarments, throwing the burned remains into a crumpled pile with the rest of the ragged garments, and withdrew her bag from under the bed. It contained, among other things, her Jedi attire, but more importantly her medical kit. She removed the red pouch, and pulled out the contents. She applied first a series of pale blue cooling pouches, full of a mixture of dampening fluids, bacta serum and pain relievers. These quickly suctioned onto the burned and blistered areas, forcing these raw and open wounds shut as it then dissolved into the skin in an instant. Like a dive into a cool lake on an arid day, a feeling euphoria filled her senses, calming her mind and allowing her moment of serenity.

Then, like the whispering wind on a desolate field, she heard the voice again:

 _Ahsoka._

 _"_ _Anakin,"_ she replied, closing her eyes as she did, _"I—I don't understand. How could—? What are you?"_

 _You didn't answer my question._

 _"_ _What question?"_

 _Why did you leave? Why did you abandon me?_

 _"_ _Abandon you? I—I don't…"_

 _You weren't there when I needed you the most._

She opened her eyes, but before her wasn't her quarters aboard the Rebel vessel. She was in the Temple of Lothal. She could feel the smooth, gray stones beneath her knees, and the ancient archways surrounding the room. They were the same as they were almost a decade ago. But she didn't understand.

The Temple had been destroyed long ago.

 _"_ _This isn't real,"_ she whispered.

 _Does it matter? Does it change what you did? That_ _ **you**_ _failed_ _ **me**_ _._

The voice was closer now. She looked up, and there standing before her was Anakin. The strong, handsome face held her within their gaze. She felt the urge to rise, to caress his cheek, to pull him close to her, to never let him go. But what she felt from him wasn't the warm gentleness of a compassionate man.

She felt… a frigidness. But it was alien to her, and yet somehow all too familiar. It didn't feel like Vader; it didn't feel like Anakin.

 _"_ _What are you?"_

 _I am your past._

Suddenly he began to peel away. Layer upon layer of skin gave away to fire, the flesh burning and blistering before her until only a charred remainder was before her.

 _I am your present._

The body gave away. Flesh turned to machinery, until at last the chilling black armor was all that remained. The figure stared down upon her, his mechanical breath echoing through the room. Then his hands moved to the helm, gripping it, beginning to pull it from the armored helm.

 _I am your future._

 _"_ _Luke!"_ she gasped, rising to her feet. She stared pleadingly at the corrupted figure of her student, who beckoned at her coldly, his eyes filled with hate and rage:

 _You doomed your master to his fate. Just as you have your student._

 _"_ _No!"_

 _He will become his father. And he will bring great evil to this universe._

The room blazed with fire and ash. The screams of thousands filled her mind as she clutched it with her hands, collapsing to the floor, her eyes closing shut.

 _You did this. You caused this._

 _"_ _No!"_ she writhed, _"He won't become like him! He isn't his father!"_

 _Is he? How could you care for him? After you deserted his father? After you left him to his fate?_

 _"_ _There was—"_ she tried to speak, but found she had no words.

 _Ahsoka, why did you abandon me?_

 _"_ _I didn't."_

The air felt stunned, almost shocked into place. She picked herself off the floor, rising to face her accuser, and she knew, her own accusing mind:

 _"_ _I didn't leave you,"_ she replied, her voice feeling the sting of sorrow and bitterness lump in her throat, _"it's taken me so long to understand."_

 _To understand what?_

 _"_ _That I didn't abandon you… You abandoned me."_

The voice snarled at her:

 _Liar!_

 _"_ _Am I?"_ she roared back, _"I left because I knew my place wasn't among the Jedi! Because I knew I could not follow them any longer!"_

 _I needed you._

 _"_ _And I came. When you called for my help, I came. I fought by your side. I led the attack on Mandalore. I bested Maul! Where were you, Anakin? Where were you?"_

The specter of the mind's eye stood dumbly before her, silent as the grave as it stared blankly at her. She shook her head at him, closing her eyes once more as did:

 _"_ _You betrayed_ _ **me**_ _, Anakin,"_ she felt tears roll down her cheeks as she continued, _"you left me, and everyone else._ _ **You**_ _became this monster._ _ **You**_ _chose to be Vader."_

 _Because of you._

 _"_ _No. You made that choice. You alone. I realize that now… that nothing I could've done, nowhere I could've been… would have changed that. I loved you, Anakin. But I couldn't save you."_

She turned her back on him.

 _"_ _And I'm done taking responsibility for that. And should Luke hate me for what I've done… then so be it. I've done what I can. I've trained him the best I could. Now… I must trust in the Force."_

 _Ahsoka…_

 _"_ _Leave."_

And so, it did. She opened her eyes again, finding herself sitting on the bed as she had before, within the same room, and within the same time. She sighed deeply, feeling the serenity easing her mind once again. She reached for the bandages, wrapping them around her wounds. As she did, she levitated her attire onto the bed beside her. Her Jedi uniform.

It was time, she knew, that Luke learned the truth. Regardless of the consequences.

* * *

Over the layers of bandages covering his arms, and chest Luke pulled on the black V-neck, tucking it into his dark brown flight trousers before tucking those into turn into his knee-high black riding boots. He felt pain still emanating from his cheek, his hands tracing the three inch scar the assassin had given him. He sighed, and removed the coil of suction bandages, applying it to the wound.

 _"_ _I've still got a lot to learn, don't I?"_

He shook his head, remembering his bout with the Assassin, and how easily he'd not only outclassed him as a fighter, but having so easily gotten under his skin. He'd reached into his dark self, into his gravest fears, and had extracted them. Brought them to light. And it almost destroyed him. He remembered the cold sensation as he felt the temptations wash over him and nearly drown him in its venality.

He closed his eyes, remembering the very same words that darkness had said to him as it'd departed his mind:

 _You will regret your decision, Luke Skywalker. And when you do, I will be here. I will always be here._

What did it mean? Was the darkness nothing more than just some obtrusive invader, something that could be fought and banished? Or… was it a part of him? Was the darkness himself, just waiting under the still waters to eventually emerge and overtake him? Would he end up like...

He stopped himself before he could go any further. He didn't know. How could he know? How could he know the truth of either matter? But if that'd be the case, then did he even know himself, who or what he was?

He found himself staring again at Vader's lightsaber, as well as his own. He found his reflection in either distorted, warped by the gleaming metal, staring right back him. He held them there for so long, the tube gleaming works of skilled mechanics and craftsmanship becoming almost rooted to his hands as an extension of them. After a stretch, he found himself leaning against them, sighing deeply as he turned away to look at the floor. And eventually after that, the remained of his uniform, lying on the bed.

The faded brown jacket, with the yellow striplings down the sides of the sleeves. Rex had given him this after his old, plain yellow coat had caught fire years ago. But more than that were the black colored forearm-guards, lying next to it. They were relatively simple things, a long strip of form fitted plas-steel, like the armor of knights a time immemorial, connected to another sheet that protected the backs of his hands. Separate, but a part all the same were the elbow guards, and knee pads, made of the same style.

Engraved upon them were symbols of blue. Symbols taken from the ancient Jedi order. Wrapped in patterns together like coiling snakes, flanked by piercing triangles. And on the hands were V's topped by single diamonds. To most, these didn't look anything other than pieces of armor, dented and scorched in places, adorned with colorful symbols.

Ordinary to some, eccentric to others. But to Luke, staring at these pieces of armor, these were more than that. His master had taken a more war-like approach to her own attire, conflicting with the more peaceful forms he'd seen from many others. While they wore the humble robes of diplomats, guardians and peace keepers, Ahsoka wore sets of armor. While the manner and style and even positioning changed from time to time, evolving as the war necessitated, she always worn them.

As Luke progressed through his training, serving alongside his master in countless battles and overcoming just as many contests, whether of blood, spirit, or skill: he'd felt an urge, almost a need, to mimic her appearance to some degree. So he'd acquired the necessary materials, and over time built his own armor. He'd taken a pain-staking amount of time doing so. He wanted them to feel right, to feel as though he was respecting not only the tradition, but preserving it. Honoring those who'd lived the meaning of those indecipherable pictograms.

Yet the true reward came at the end. In battle, with lightsaber in hand and leading troops alongside his master against the indefinite foe, she'd beamed brightly at him, and his work. It was a look of pride in her eyes. Pride and memory. She'd told him countless times that at certain spans she'd turn to look to see not her student standing there, stoically facing countless odds at her side, but his father. It made him feel a greater sense of pride, of reverence, to know that he did. To know that while he would never meet his parents, never embrace them in the flesh, or share a happy life with them, he would at least honor their memory.

But now, looking at them lying there on the bed, made him feel almost empty. That there was no greater meaning to them. No sense of pride. Only a vacancy. He closed his eyes, and sighed:

 _"_ _Who am I supposed to be?"_ he shook his head at the question, _"What am I supposed to be?"_

There was a knock at the door. He placed the two sabers back onto the table as he responded:

 _"_ _Come."_

The door opened, and there standing in the doorway was Ahsoka Tano. She was dressed in her Jedi uniform: the burgundy sleeveless tunic, X-pattern saber belt, the white trousers tucked into knee-high steel-toed boots, the black sleeves that ran short of her shoulders and up to her fingers. Along with this was her set of gauntlets, gray in color with orange symbols transcribed upon them, and the single, venerable breast plate. With a look of contemplated concern, she entered the room, her arms held tightly behind her back as she stared down at her student, who in turn stared back. Then she noticed the gleaming sabers upon the table, and her eyes closed with a trepidation weighing heavily upon her already remorseful heart. She shook her head softly as she whispered simply:

 _"_ _Luke, I…"_

 _"_ _Ahsoka,"_ Luke interrupted, his head turning sideways before he looked up at her with eyes full of angst. With a beckoning sigh, his head and body drooping over like a confessioner before his pastor, he finally asked the one question that would forever determine both of their fates:

 _"_ _Is Darth Vader my father?"_

She looked at him, her face going through a range of emotions from shock, to guilt, to contemplation and finally acceptance within a matter of seconds. She looked at him wretchedly, her eyes subdued. Her mouth opened to speak, but just as quickly closed. After a lengthy span, she reached behind her back to shut the door, and when it closed, she looked up at him again. She sighed, looking down at the floor before she answered, her voice a somber murmur:

 _"_ _Yes."_

There was a beckoning silence that enveloped the room. One that seemed to strangle the very air itself, holding a perplexive hold of shock, confusion and even to a degree, resentment. Luke's eyes went wide, his mouth even wider, as he gaped at her. He tried to speak, tried to say something. But all that ever came out was incomprehensible babble, words half formed that soon died out in contorted rasps.

Ahsoka saw the whirling whirlwind in his eyes. The turbulent sea of emotions conflicting and battling one another repeatedly. She wanted to say something, to reach out for him, to comfort him… to do something! But she felt a great guilt rooting her to the spot. She felt cold, she felt hollow, she felt entirely devoid of life. She felt like an ages old sculpture, left to wither in the wind and rain, and becoming ruinous and degrading until at last it'd crumple with the slightest touch.

And looking at Luke, the look of betrayal in his eyes, made her all the more numb. She called to him, her voice teetering on the verge of breaking:

 _"_ _I'm so sorry, Luke."_

 _"_ _Why didn't you tell me?"_ he asked despairingly, his eyes almost accusing her on the spot. She shook her head gloomily, her eyes closing as they did, her head drooping to the floor.

 _"_ _I wanted to Luke. I wanted to, since the beginning."_

 _"_ _Then why didn't you?"_

 _"_ _Because…"_ she stopped, looking sideways as she did, contemplating her answer before she continued, _"Because Obi-Wan asked me not to."_

His eyes grew wider:

 _"_ _Obi-Wan? You've seen him?"_

She nodded.

 _"_ _Twice. On Corellia before we met…"_ she sighed, looking away before she continued, _"and after. When I began to train you."_

He shook his head, almost as if he was trying to deny what he heard. That for all his life, even the man he'd revered had lied to him. That he'd made the woman he cared for lie to him.

 _"_ _Who else knew?"_

 _"_ _Just Rex."_

 _"_ _How long?"_

 _"_ _Have I know the truth?"_ she shook her slowly, _"Since… since my time on Lothal."_

 _"_ _And Rex?"_

 _"_ _A time after."_

He shook his head in despair. He buried his face in his hands, moving up into his hair before, his breaths becoming heavier and heavier with every realization, every lie becoming exposed for what they were. Finally, he looked up at her, facing her, asking her the obvious, burning question:

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _I don't…"_

 _"_ _You wanted to tell me,"_ he cut in, rising to his feet as he did, _"I know it now. All those times, all those days ago… you tried to tell me, didn't you?"_

She looked at him heavily, her eyes moving to the floor as she nodded. He shook his head in irritation, growling:

 _"_ _Then why didn't you tell me?"_

 _"_ _I—"_ she tried to answer, but she couldn't. All she could do was stare at him remorsefully.

 _"_ _I don't…"_

 _"_ _What!?"_ he shouted at her, balling his hands into fists, _"You don't_ _ **what**_ _!? Did you think I would turn into_ _ **him**_ _!? Did you think I would turn bad like him!?"_

 _"_ _No!"_ she exclaimed, her eyes wide with panic, _"I never thought that! Never!"_

 _"_ _Then why didn't you tell me the truth!?"_

 _"_ _Because I was afraid, Luke!"_

His eyes narrowed coldly:

 _"_ _Of me? Are you afraid of me, Ahsoka?"_

She gave him a look of repentance, before she once again stared down at the floor:

 _"_ _Of how you would react. Considering—"_

 _"_ _That you lied to me?"_ he shook his head at her, his hands held wide, _"Was anything—_ _ **Anything**_ _you told me about my parents…"_ he stopped himself, sighing as he did, _"was any of it actually true? Or was it all just one more lie?"_

She glared at him, hurt sown right into her eyes:

 _"_ _I never lied to you, Luke! Not about them! Not once!"_

 _"_ _And why should I believe you? Why should I believe anything that you say at this point? How do I know that everything that you've told me, every story, every praise, every lesson… how do I know any of that was real?"_

 _"_ _What does your heart tell you?"_

 _"_ _No,"_ he growled, jutting a finger at her, _"don't you dare try to twist this! Don't you dare—"_

 _"_ _What?"_ she shot back, her face hardening as she did, _"What do you want me to say, Luke?"_

 _"_ _How about the truth about my father!"_ he bellowed, _"You told me he was a hero! That he was the greatest Jedi who ever lived!"_

 _"_ _He was!"_ she replied despairingly. He shook his head at her:

 _"_ _Then how did he become Vader? If he was the good man, the great man you say he was… then how did he become this… monster?"_

She didn't respond at first. She sighed deeply, letting her body slump against the wall, and then onto the floor. She brought her knees up, wrapping her arms around them, resting her chin her hands. She closed her eyes, the countless memories of a lifetime washing over her in seconds. Like an impenetrable mist, the flash of sorrow and joy flowed through her, until at last tears slowly began to build up in her eyes. As she spoke, they released, flowing down her cheeks:

 _"_ _Anakin… was more than a great man. More than just my master. He was… my friend. My family… my brother. I loved him, Luke… I still do, despite what he is now."_

She looked up at him, noticing that he'd taken a seat on the bed, his hands cupped as he watched her with intent.

 _"_ _He cared for people. He cared for them deeply. He'd walk through fire to protect me. If I'd been taken from him, he'd stop at nothing to get me back…"_ she paused, the very same memory playing for her, _"when I was accused of treason… stripped of my rank, my title… my very own identity… he never gave up on me."_

He'd heard the story before. How she'd been framed by her best friend. How Anakin had practically torn the planet apart looking for a way to save her. But hearing it now, seeing it play out before him in her reactions, in her sorrow… he felt it pain his heart listening to it.

 _"_ _He did everything to save me from execution… and he did do just that, despite things looking hopeless."_

He nodded slowly, closing his eyes as he did. She knew what he wanted to ask, but was trying hard not to. She closed her eyes again, fighting to control her voice from breaking into a sob.

 _"_ _What Vader told you in the hangar… it was true."_

He looked at her, and she nodded:

 _"_ _Your mother…"_ she broke off, feeling fresh tears well up and run down her face as the memories of Padme came to her again, _"He saw her death. He became paranoid about it… he wanted to save her from it… he wanted to save you."_

He nodded, understanding.

 _"_ _So he traded his soul for the power to save us."_

She nodded.

 _"_ _But my mother is dead."_

She nodded again:

 _"_ _She died… giving birth to you. Anakin… he turned on us all. He killed countless people… he helped topple the Republic… wanting to save the people he loved. But in the end, all he did was…"_ she paused again, her voice at long last breaking, her conclusion muddled with sobbing, _"ensure his nightmare came true."_

Now Luke felt his own tears hot against his face, He wiped them away, but they kept coming. Ahsoka looked up at him, her heart twisting further at his pain as she interjected:

 _"_ _Luke… you have to understand… that man… in that cell… that isn't your father."_

 _"_ _How… how could you say that?"_

 _"_ _Your… father he… the moment he gave into that darkness… Anakin Skywalker died. Whatever good left in him has long since been consumed by Darth Vader."_

 _"_ _How could you know that?"_

She could feel fresh anger emanating from him, but she knew she could not turn away now. So, she continued, know full well how his response would be:

 _"_ _That…_ _ **thing**_ _…_ _killed and tortured his way across a galaxy, hunting me. He corrupted children… warping them… turning them into weapons. And when I tried to save him… tried to bring him back… he killed a close friend. All to prove a point. No Luke. Your father… is gone."_

 _"_ _I don't believe it,"_ he rose from the bed, pacing away to the far wall, his hand clenched behind his back, _"Ahsoka… were you there, when my mother died?"_

 _"_ _No,"_ she answered sadly, _"I wasn't. I was…,"_ she wanted to say _hiding from the Empire,_ or even _hiding from his Father,_ but she settled on a simpler truth, _"when your… when the Jedi fell, I was leading a battle on Mandalore… hunting for a Sith named Maul."_

 _Maul,_ he repeated quietly to himself. The name was familiar; he'd read it before in Obi-Wan's journal. But his thoughts were interrupted when she continued:

 _"_ _I didn't learn the full truth until… until Corellia. From Obi-Wan."_

He was silent. Dreadfully silent, until at last he asked the one question she'd dreaded:

 _"_ _Why weren't you with him?"_

When she didn't answer, he whirled on her, slowly walking towards:

 _"_ _Why weren't you with him!?"_

 _"_ _Your father left—"_

 _"_ _You could've gone with him. You could have stayed with him. You—"_ he halted, standing no less than a bodies throw from her, _"You left the Order. Why?"_

 _"_ _Because I no longer felt I belonged with them. That I couldn't be a Jedi. That I couldn't be your father's student… not anymore."_

 _"_ _You could've saved him."_

 _"_ _No Luke, I couldn't. Even if I'd been there, it wouldn't have mattered."_

 _"_ _You didn't even try!"_ he roared at her, _"You didn't even try to save him!"_

She shot from the ground, facing him:

 _"_ _If Obi-Wan couldn't,"_ she shouted right back at him, _"then what chance did I have?!"_

 _"_ _If he cared as deeply for as you say he did, then you don't need to ask that!"_

 _"_ _Luke… you don't understand. The Dark Side consumed Anakin, left him a monster!"_

 _"_ _That monster_ _ **is**_ _my father, Ahsoka! You may have abandoned him, but I won't!"_

 _"_ _Abandon him!? I never abandoned him, Luke!"_

 _"But you… you were ready to kill him! You were training_ _ **me**_ _to kill him, weren't you!?"_

 _"_ _Luke…"_

 _"_ _Weren't you!?"_

She turned away from him, her arms gripping each other as she slumped against the wall. She answered him with a hoarse whisper:

 _"_ _Yes. It wasn't the only reason, but I knew that one day you would have to face him."_

 _"_ _You would have me kill my own father!?"_ he shook his head, stepping back as he did, _"Would you have told me the truth if I had killed him? If I had done what you trained me to do?"_

She didn't know. But her silence to him was telling:

 _"_ _You're no better than him."_

She looked at him, her eyes in shock. Unrelenting, his voice rising as he spoke, he pressed on:

 _"_ _You say he's a monster. You say that he's tortured and manipulated… but you!? You're no different!"_

Her eyes grew wider and wider, her mouth opening further in horror. Panic grew once more as she tried to interrupt him, tried to stop him from tearing away from her:

 _"_ _Luke, please—"_

 _"_ _You've lied to me! Not just about my father, but about who I am! You trained me, you manipulated me to kill my father! How can I trust you, Ahsoka!? How can I ever believe I loved you!?"_

 _"_ _What—"_

 _"_ _I felt something between us. I thought it was real. I thought that I could care for you! That you cared for me!"_

 _"_ _I do, Luke!"_

 _"_ _Do you!?"_ he screamed, coming right up to her, _"Or am I just a weapon for your cause!? Something for you to program to kill and then toss away when you're finished! Did you ever care for me, Ahsoka!? Did you!? Or was none of that real!? Was it all just for you to make **me** what **I am**!? Well!? **Answer me**!"_

But she didn't. She couldn't. She was crushed. Crushed and shattered, her heart torn apart at the seams. Her world falling apart all around her, like the heavens crashing on its underdwellers.

She couldn't hold back the tears, the uncontrollable sadness, the great on-wave of misery that at long last consumed her. She sobbed and cried, sliding down the wall and onto the ground, burying her face in her hands, in her knees. Every memory, every moment of sorrow, every pain she knew, came to her. The fears, the nightmares, all came to haunt her again. She'd failed she knew.

Like his father, he would descend into darkness… because of her. All because of her.

 _"_ _Ahsoka,"_ Luke briefed in shock and horror. Horror at what he'd said, horror at what he'd done. He wanted to hurt himself, to make himself pay for the vile things he'd accused her of. For calling her love for him into question. For thinking ill of his own for her.

 _"_ _Maker… what have I… no, no,"_ he fell beside her, his own tears adding further to his crushing sense of guilty. He looked across her, barely able to speak, let alone breathe as he uttered, _"Ahsoka… I'm sorry. I'm so… I'm… I can't… what have I—"_

 _"_ _Luke,"_ she whispered, the look of utter despair making Luke feel torn apart, his heart crumpling into his stomach. He felt her hands, her Lekku, reach for him. Felt them wrap around him, pull him close. And he did not resist. He embraced her tightly, as did she for him.

They cradled each other, letting their emotions run without restraint. It was a release for both. And for long minutes, for what seemed to them ages, they cried together.

 _"_ _I don't want to lose you, Luke,"_ she sobbed in his shoulder, _"I don't want to lose you."_

He pulled her tighter, holding her as he replied in as much subdued manner:

 _"_ _I don't want to lose you either, master. Never in a million years. I—I didn't mean anything I said. I swear I didn't."_

 _"_ _I know, Luke. I know."_

He carressed her cheek, bring her to face him. To look her square in the eyes, trembling, hoping beyond hope.

 _"_ _I love you, Ahsoka. I—I would never hurt you. Or let anyone hurt you. I'd rather die."_

 _"_ _I know. I won't leave you… not now... not ever."_

They pulled each other close again, letting each be their strength. To be their safegaurd. To be their comfort. Against the silence, against the melancholy, against the uncaring world…

They had each other. And no matter who or what would come… they would always have each other. No matter the consequences.


	11. Exfiltration

Chapter Ten: Exfiltration

* * *

" _And what will be your business, today,"_ the technician behind the security checkpoint looked down to examined the keycard given to him, musing slightly at it, _"Captain, ST-3456?"_

" _Just call me Corban,"_ the other man replied, adjusting his officer cover, _"I do have a last name, but that's obviously not in my record file. And my purpose should be there with my transfer orders."_

" _Just a formality, sir,"_ he replied before he chuckled softly, _"doubt you're some Rebel Spy."_

The other man chuckled back:

" _Well, never can be too careful."_

The technician nodded. He was in his early twenties, obviously a fresh recruit. Maybe applied here to desk duty through political connections, or was just really good at typing? Though, by the enthusiastic sparkle of wonder and respect in the boy's eyes, 'King' doubted the former and considered the latter. The technician nodded to him:

" _My dad served as an engineer with the Two-oh-Second. Told me a lot about you Clones."_

" _Like what?"_

" _That you guys were the greatest soldiers who ever lived. He's alive 'cause of you guys."_

King nodded, smiling simply as he did:

" _I served with the Five-oh-First. Well, until they transferred me to Intel, of course."_

Again, the boys' eyes brightened with wonderment. He put the identification card into the censor machine, checking its credentials with his network before ejecting it. He then grinned slightly as he handed back his identification card. Then he leaned over, his hand cupping his mouth and forcing King to bend over to listen:

" _Guy named Karl, down in the mess-hall. Don't tell anybody but he mixes a pretty good Corellian brew. Tell him Jakson sent you."_

King smiled and nodded:

" _Thanks for the offer."_

" _More than welcome, sir."_

The door opened, and as King entered into the hallway, he shook his head softly. In most Imperial institutions, such deviance was not only frowned upon, it was downright punishable. But what did one expect in the Empire's furthest most outpost, so far removed from the traditional forms of military authority? Yet, he did admit he was somewhat hypocritical about it, too. In his day, while he praised discipline, he could not deny his men their own individuality, no matter how limited.

In the end, he supposed it came down to how well the troops preformed their duty, and how their loyalty to the cause persevered regardless of the consequences. At least, that was his own philosophy. But he shook his head. He wasn't here to ponder on the great philosophies of military authority and the fundamentals of command. He was here to steal intelligence.

" _Captain Corban?"_ a black clad, and fairly young officer ahead saluted him, and King returned the gestured, smiling softly:

" _At ease, lieutenant. I'm assuming you're my escort?"_

" _Yes sir. The base commander has asked me to take you to him. If you'll follow me."_

He produced a keycard and the access door opened, revealing the great extent of the facility ahead. It was a colossal landing courtyard built into a hangar, with massive quantities being deposited via shuttles and transports before shuttled away by cranes and drivers to either storage or disassembly. Those going to storage, King noted, were being moved to an assembly line and fitted in a line of All Terrain Armored Cargo Transports, bound for sister bases down the way. Outpost Krist, named after its namesake world, was situation in an endless series of arid arroyos and plains; perpetuated in interminable night time conditions and constant thunderstorms. It reminded him much of the old Rishi station, years ago.

However, it was no doubt in mind the magnitude of this operation, puny in regards to those in the core worlds, easily dwarfed anything he'd ever experienced in the Grand Army of the Republic.

" _Impressive, isn't it, sir?"_ the officer chuckled, _"Though probably not the largest you're probably accustom to on Courascant, it is the largest supply depot in the Outer Rim."_

" _I'm well aware, lieutenant,"_ King replied simply, _"which is why I'm here."_

" _Yes sir."_

King was then taken through the rest of the facility, which was repetitive pattern of dozens, or sometimes even hundreds of workers and troops moving shipments of cargo, disassembling them and then transferring their contents to newer, easier to manage containers before moving on to do it again. The contents were pretty much anything one could imagine. Logistics materials like food, medicine, and uniforms. However, others were clearly the needed supplements meant to construct new bases or perhaps even establish power grids. What was in an abundance however, were weapons.

This did not surprise him much. With the Rebellion continually retreating into the Outer Rim, no doubt the Moffs and their adjutant generals and Manufacturing Commandants saw the benefit of maintaining the constant new string of firebases and listening posts being constructed at key points. Alertness and caution were dangerous weapons to a rebellion. Though a degree of the typical political incompetence that was expected to plague such a massive bureaucracy that was the Imperial Military remained, King couldn't deny that they were starting to get the hint. Again, it didn't surprise him. What had started as insignificant uprisings on backwater worlds had escalated into full scale war.

War had the habit of weeding out the stupid.

" _Right this way sir."_

Now King came across more familiar dormitories he'd come to know for the past six months. Built into the heavy rock and cliffs, it was fairly average military facility, complete with everything one might expect. It was of course larger than most outposts, but none had quite the importance as this one. Krist was situated at a hyperspace-lane junction that linked it to other developing bases around the Outer Rim. Whatever they required, this base unpacked and made more convenient before shipping it to them.

A Processing Base was the official term. Key to the Empire's every present expansion into the Unknown Regions. They turned the corner, and then entered a lift that would take them to the control center of the facility. He'd seen it on the shuttle ride down to the planet. Apparently, the commander here had felt the need to construct his office and his records right into the very same tower used to monitor air-traffic. Pragmatically, he supposed it made sense.

" _So, sir,"_ the officer asked as the doors closed, _"what do expect to find?"_

" _Do you always ask someone from Internal Affairs what they're looking for?"_

" _Just curious is all, sir. You're our fourth inspector in the past year."_

" _Well, if I see your records are as they should be, then there'll be no issues on the matter."_

" _And if they aren't?"_

King smiled slightly:

" _Are they?"_

" _Just hypothetically."_

King gave him a very wry grin:

" _Then I'll have to kill you."_

The officer chuckled at that, and King couldn't help but smile at the youths seeming innocence. He shook his head. This place truly was a dumping ground for the people who didn't have their share of connections. That was fine. Those people always had something to hide, and thus were always more cautious.

As an old friend once told him:

" _Honest people have no need for deception. The dishonest, though, all the need."_

Then he felt a soft vibration in his ear. Months prior he'd surgically inserted a soft-bud communication system in his inner lobe. He simply opened his mouth and the comm. channel opened. When he did, a cool and commanding female voice on the other end spoke:

" _King, this is Outlaw. Virus has uploaded and I'm makin' my way through the data stream. Should have total ghost control in a few minutes. Till then, all you cowboy. Out."_

He nodded and a ghost of a smile passed his lips. All was going according to plan.

* * *

" _And you're positive it's him? I mean, out of all the places he could be— "_

" _It's him. I know him."_

Major ST-2224, better known by his handle name, Cody, watched out the window panel of the Imperial Shadow-Class Escort Cruiser, across to the lane of cargo ships making their way from fleet to fleet. For months, he'd pursued his target across the galaxy. Always a step ahead, infiltrating every hierarchy imaginable and gleaming from them every source of information. It frustrated him to no end the seeming incompetence his superiors had in regarding to tightening security among these Outer Rim bases. Granted, he was at least grateful they'd gotten out of his way for this particular assignment, and given him the resources, and personnel, he felt were needed.

The Storm Commando Capitan behind grunted his disapproval:

" _Sir, no disrespect meant, but out of all the targets he could hit, why this place? As important to supplies as it is, isn't it somewhat… small fry for him? I mean, there's nothing there worth stealing."_

Cody shook his head. It wasn't his fault. Storm Commandos may have been elite, but due to the nature of Imperial Intelligence and its constant compartmentalizing, they were little more than hammers. But that suited him fine. And in this case, he had someone else to answer that question for him:

" _That's the point, Skipper. This guy's not just a simple soldier. Soldiers have orders, and they carry them out in a very predictable manner."_

Cody smiled broadly at that statement:

" _Predictable? I don't know if we're_ _ **that**_ _predictable, Jak."_

He turned about to face his partner. Though that term was somewhat subjective. Cody, though an asset to Imperial Intelligence, was still considered a part of the traditional military hierarchy. As such, he had no true legal authority over an operative of the Imperial Security Bureau (or just often referred to as just the Bureau), and they had all the authority over him. But Jak Nova was cut of a different cloth all together than what was expected of their traditional rank and file.

He was tall, but thin like a cord. He also had a face that looked like it should've belonged to some Navy recruitment poster boy, with silky well kempt jet black hair, a fair complexion with high cheeks bones and an angular jaw structure. Yet what was most stunning were the man's icy blue eyes that seemed to be able to sum up a person within a glance. All in all, he did not look like a respectable spy hunter, but Cody reasoned that was the point. Better fear the enemy you don't expect than the one you do.

" _Sure, you are,"_ Jak chuckled, rubbing his hand though his hair, _"give you a weapon and you'll murder some scrub in the most efficient manner. Give you orders, you'll carry them out directly and probably immediately with_ _ **wicked gusto**_ _."_

" _My age, Jak? You'd be lucky to get half enthusiasm out of me."_

He chuckled at that, his eyes once again boring into him like he was looking for something unseen. A sense of unease perhaps? But in the end he broke off contact, and just smiled broadly.

" _Cody, yawr half enthusiasm is worth the fervor of ten scrubs. So, you could say it is a Mad-gusto! Well, a demi-Mad-gusto."_

Jak almost child-like enthusiasm and banter, as well as his hard urban accent, was something Cody came to understand as nothing more than a ruse. A mask to hide behind. As he himself explained months prior:

" _Better they don't see yawr true face. Yawr… true self, you understand? Me? I prefer my opposite numbers to underestimate me. More likely to make mistakes, drop their gawrds, show a few secrets."_

Jak then looked over at the Storm Commando Captain, and grinned cheekily:

" _And you're giving me the look like I owe you something, Skipper. Do I? I don't remember losing cards to you."_

The weathered faced soldier grumbled and crossed his arms as snorted at him:

" _You still haven't answered my question why you're ghost-man would be there, at a no-name facility in a no-name galaxy."_

" _Cause?"_ Jak replied sarcastically, and he grew a slight redder in the cheeks. He looked crossway at Cody as he asked crossly:

" _Why do I have to explain our actions to this scrub, Cody?"_

" _Scrub!?"_ the Captain bellowed, and Jak just continued to grin at him:

" _Yes, scrub. Keep this up, you'll be demoted to chucklehead. And last I checked, Major, he answers to you, not the other way around."_

" _Just tell the man, Jak."_

He shook his head at him and sighed.

" _Alright. Huddle up, I've got a story to tell."_

Jak wasn't the normal kind of intel officer Cody had worked with, not even in the old days of the Republic. Most were high-borns who were practically bred in the Academy and molded with its narrow, almost fanatical beliefs. Jak however had come from the opposite side of that particular spectrum, and had worked his way up. Ironically, it was this additional opposition that Cody suspected honed the cadet's sharp mind, and his sharper tongue. It was also what shaped the man's other, more unorthodox beliefs; especially in regards to his opinions on the Empire's xenophobic policies.

What kept him on was the fact he had no angles to play, nor any ambition beyond doing his job. And that none could deny he did that especially well. He had the right balance, Cody concluded, of brains, heart and guts. What he didn't have were connections, or friends within the Bureau. Which was what ended him up with what many deemed an impossible assignment.

For the better part of three years, the Bureau's enemy number one was an unknown operative codenamed King. His real identity was unknown. His motivations or even proper descriptions also unknown. All that was known was that he was among one of the Rebellions most trusted operatives, and that he had the pull of their SpecForces at his every beck and whim. Nova was given the task of bringing him in, or down, depending on how it went.

Many expected him to fail. Many of their senior spy-hunters hadn't been able to do the job. Yet what not many did expect was for him to come to Major Cody, a training instructor on Kamino and a known asset to the military side of Intelligence, with a theory. Bemused, Cody had listened. Listened as he described in length Jak's believed connection between this King and Cody himself, along with all the Clones still alive and still in active service in the Empire.

A fact known to many was that Clones were bred with half-lives. Aging twice as fast than most sentients, meant to deliver as many manufactured soldiers to battlefields in as quick a manner as possible. As such, it was not surprising that many of these veterans were in their midlives, despite still technically being in their physical primes. However, what was not known was the fact that these men were not aging at all. Well, aging so slowly that Jak himself believed that they might even outlive most.

It was… a secret, that every Clone kept. Even if some did not agree with the rather political reasons behind it, they all made the pact to keep their mouths shut. But for Cody, it was personal. At least, that was part of the theory. The theory regarding the true identity of King, and one that Cody confirmed to be correct.

Yet what surprised Cody the most was the fact that no one, aside from the two of them, knew this theory. For as much as it was Jak Nova's job to uncover secrets, he also knew how to keep one. And Cody respected him for that. So, when the man offered a partnership to _"Set the record straight before worser intentions caught up with them",_ Cody accepted. Despite his life being saved, and despite him not entirely agreeing with the Empire, he could no longer stand idly by as his oldest friend plunged the galaxy into chaos.

He'd wanted to find him before, but he knew he couldn't do it alone, and that he couldn't trust those above or under his command. Agent Jak Nova, however, proved an adequate solution to both points, and a more than adequate partner:

" _As I said, our guy's not thinking like a soldier. Sure, he's got the discipline, the mindset. But when it comes to this,"_ he tapped his forehead, _"he thinks more like a spy. A soldier-spy."_

" _A soldier-spy?"_ the special forces officer questioned skeptically. Jak shrugged his shoulders:

" _Hey, when I come up with something better, I'll let you know."_

" _The point Jak's getting at is that his actions are unpredictable by design,"_ Cody continued, _"it hides his greater purpose."_

" _Purpose?"_

Jak picked off:

" _Guy operates off a clear set of objectives. But cause they ain't lined up in an orderly campaign line for_ _ **most**_ _to notice,"_ he grinned at the Captain, who growled deep in the base of his throat, _"nobody bothers to establish the connection."_

He then hit a button on the panel, and a star-chart appeared. He pointed out a single world, and it enlarged. A series of holographic images suddenly began popping out. A blown-out building, news reports, and a list of items the Captain did not recognize:

" _See, whole thing started here, on Cypherus Prime, 'bout two months back. With a single intel hub getting whacked."_

" _The intel hubs contained classified documents and records on many different operations and secrets,"_ Cody continued, _"which meant a thousand different strikes happening across the galaxy."_

" _A nice rug to hide under,"_ Jak chuckled, _"'cept then these attacks happened, all within a few weeks of each other."_

He then picked out several more worlds, and a single military space station.

" _King,"_ Cody explained, _"infiltrated each of these facilities, committing sabotage at each one."_

" _So, what's the connection?"_

" _Something was stolen,"_ Jak answered, _"at each one. And each one, something different. Shipment manifests, data records, blueprints. You name it, this guys swiped it."_

" _However, what connects each intel stolen is that they each revolved around or were connected to these three items,"_ Cody then plucked the list from the first planet, _"Proton reflector generators, solar light intensifiers, and a rare form of crystal called Stygium."_

After a pause, the Captain nodded:

" _The facility ships all three."_

" _Skipper, you've been promoted to a stackjack."_

The Captain eyed him darkly and leaned over the table to face Cody:

" _So, what do you need my men for? Why not just inform the facility to expect trouble?"_

Jak smirked at him:

" _You don't catch a mouse by taking way the trap and only giving him the cheese."_

" _I don't follow."_

Cody provided the blunt answer:

" _We inform them, they'll go on alert and King is in the wind. We know where he'll be, and Jak and I know when. For once, we have the element of surprise."_

Jak chuckled dryly as he eyed the Commando Captain with a sarcastic glint:

" _So, let's not half-hast this one up, shall we?"_

* * *

The lift door opened with a loud _ding,_ and King was met by a fairly large command room and an equally imposing command crew. There were at least thirty in total from flight technicians, comm. operators and of course command officers, constantly pacing about in their styled black uniforms, pressed and serviced, with their hands clasped firmly behind his back. Efficiency, and all the more reason he was glad they didn't make the constant habit of staring at him as crews like this normally were ought to do as he stepped out of the lift, flanked by his escort. He pointed over to the left and took the lead. King readjusted his data-case, pulling at his collar that was still digging into his neck.

It wasn't that it wasn't the right size, it just was a tad tight in certain areas. Then again, when were missions like this ever about his comfort?

" _Right this way, sir."_

He followed the technician, milling past the constantly moving crowds, who were all too busy transmitting and receiving codes, monitoring flight paths and committing inventory manifests before redirecting the dozen or so cargo ships still in orbit to the varying landing platforms, to notice him walking past. All in all, typical bureaucratic work. He didn't mind. It just would make his job of stealing information all the easier. They walked along the varying corridors and rooms until at last they came across one that had the Imperial Logo stenciled in black letters.

The officer knocked on the door and was answered by a rough voice:

" _Come."_

And so, the door opened. King was immediately bombarded by a stunning display of nothing but… red. Red floors, red walls, red ceiling. It was like he'd stumbled into a throne room rather than the office of the commanding official of a backwater planet. But when he saw the varying stuffed heads of a dozen different aliens, many of whom Wookies, displayed as trophies all along the walls; as well as banners, weapons and artifacts from another dozen cultures: King knew exactly what he was dealing with.

And when he rose from examining a glass case of something King couldn't identify, he also knew from sight who the man was. And in his stomach, it made the old Clone writhe in disgust and fury. But he'd learned from a friend who'd taught him how to conceal his truer emotions, as well as other essentials needed in this line of work.

" _Captain Corban,"_ the officer gestured, _"ST-3456, this is—"_

" _Commander Ozzik Sturn,"_ King interrupted, surprising his dislike for the man under a heavy dose of professional courtesy, _"I know who you are."_

The man smiled. A kind of smile like sociopath meeting his latest victim, matched by almost viper like eyes. Well, eye. His left, along with a good chunk of his face and his arm, were all cybernetic. Though the latter was covered in a fur cloak, white and gray in color.

" _I see my reputation perceives me, Captain. Though I have not heard of you."_

" _Just a simple soldier, sir. You're a long way from Malastare, or for that matter, Kashyyyk."_

The man chuckled dryly, massaging his robotic arm and wiping away unseen dirt from his pristine white uniform.

" _Yes,"_ he replied after a length, _"my… unfortunate encounter with a Jedi left me in a somewhat… unsuitable position of physical and emotional health. Though I'm more than certain you know all too well what hunting a Jedi can take on your mind… and body."_

Sturn gestured to his face, and out of instinct, King felt the long scar running up from his chin, through his lip and just shy of his cheek, as well as the one from the bridge of his nose moving up just shy into his forehead. Sturn chuckled:

" _After all, the 501_ _st_ _were legend for their devotion to the Empire."_

King narrowed his eyes, and replied simply:

" _The Jedi were formidable, honest and brave warriors. As well as true friends… certainly braver than most I've commanded here. But it wasn't a Jedi who gave me these."_

Sturn shrugged his shoulders:

" _I only assumed."_

He then gestured to his subordinate and he quickly left the room, shutting the door behind him.

" _Please sit,"_ Sturn pointed over to a chair, draped in the furs of a skinned Wookie, and King felt the urge to reach across the table and…

 _No,_ he thought to himself, _get a hold of yourself. You're here for intel, you old fool. Nothing more._

Still, he couldn't get the feeling out of his head. But as Sturn turned to pull something out of the cabinet, he shook his head and forced himself to sit. During the war, he would've had a man like this strung up and shot. But that was a war ago. Sturn returned with a bottle of red something, and a pair of shots.

He didn't bother asking King if he wanted any. He just poured him one anyway. And to avoid seeming disingenuous, he took it in his hand. Sturn took his own seat, propping his feet onto his desk as he took a long wiff of his wine. All the while, watching him closely.

" _Have you ever had Corellian ale, Captain?"_

" _I don't typically drink on duty, sir."_

He shook his irritably:

" _Oh come now, Captain. You disappoint me. Out here on the Outer Rim, we are afforded… certain privileges. It is no crime to allow oneself access to such manners,"_ he then leaned in close, _"but from where I come from, it is especially rude to refuse the hosts gifts."_

" _I see."_

King immediately downed the shot in a single gulp, and Sturns eyes went wide:

" _I see you've done this before."_

" _I've had my share of pirates and renegades, Commander,"_ King replied simply, _"learn a thing or two about hard drinks. Now, to business?"_

" _Where's the rush?"_ Sturn inquired, taking a sip from his own shot, _"What has happened to patience in our officery, Captain? To good humor and manner?"_

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He hated when they had stories to tell. Though he didn't mind a good one, and had told plenty himself, including most of those to the son of his once oldest friend and commander; most coming from men like these were either ego-trips and talltales, or were in fact truth, and made it that much harder not to stick a blade in their throats. But he held it in, and kept his mouth shut. Strun took his silence as a que, and rose; gesturing to the varying heads lining the room:

" _After all, it was patience that won me these many trophies. Oh sure, they were each strong, quick and savage, in each their own right. Enough that they could tear me apart in seconds,"_ he then tapped his forehead, _"though none are a match for intelligence and resolve."_

King chuckled at that:

" _Or large caliber explosive rounds for that matter."_

Sturn gestured a hand to him:

" _Indeed. The mind of a xenos is a peculiar thing: a constant mewling mess of instincts, lust, fear and hunger. Oh sure, many would argue that they have intelligence. Some might even say greater than humans. But I've seen them in their… natural element. In the wild, on the hunt, they really are nothing more than animals. A façade they wear in public to impress us, but animals nothing more. But it is for this reason that they are far greater game than any mere human."_

King raised an eyebrow:

" _How so?"_

There was a manic glint in his eyes as he answered, drawing a long hunting knife for some dramatic effect, waving it hither and thither as he monologued:

" _Humans have long lost our own inner monster. Our… natural selves. Pluck one in a jungle and he will flail like a babe. But set a beast, even a child in any harsh environment and it will not only survive, he will thrive. Such… survivability, makes for a far more suitable game."_

King looked at him blankly, hiding his growing anger for the man:

" _Sounds like you should've been born a Trandoshian."_

" _Yes,"_ he chuckled, _"I've been told that many a time. But wouldn't you agree that hardiest opponents are the ones with natural talent to such survivability."_

" _No."_

Sturn looked at him oddly:

" _No?"_

King shook his head, and answered:

" _The Separatists believed their Droid Armies superior because they felt no fear, no pain, no remorse. But they ran into a problem they couldn't overpower. Not with numbers, or any kind of firepower. Will."_

" _Will? I don't follow."_

" _It takes will to survive. Will to fight. And there is nothing more dangerous than one, or many, who refused to die. To give up. It gives a man courage, and courage is a strength far greater than any new technological terror, Commander. That much I've learned."_

" _I didn't realize you were a man of philosophy."_

" _As I said, I'm only a simple soldier. Now, to business, if you don't mind."_

As he rose, unclasping his data-case, he felt a soft buzzing in his ear. He opened his mouth, and the channel opened:

" _King, this is Outlaw. I've got ghost-control of this facilities network. Say the word, and I'll give you a wish. Oh, and I've also taken the liberty of jammin' all outbound communications. I'll keep a monitorin' out. Till then, see you on the otherside, Cowboy. Out."_

* * *

The Escort Class Cruiser exited hyperspace, and within minutes, a single black colored shuttle made its way to the darkness veiled, whirlwind covered world before them. In the hold, the five-man squad of Storm Commandos began the long-practiced procedure of adorning their black colored battle armor. These were the older issues, however. Looking more akin to black-painted Scout Troopers, granted with a hellovalot more pouches, weapons and explosives strapped to their bodies. The newer models, nicknamed Shadows, carried on the tradition of their black attire while adopting the standard look of Storm Troopers.

Besides the obvious difference in armor type, the rumor was that these _Shadow Troopers_ were equipped with personalized stealth fields, a new product of some secret R&D project involving synthetic Stygium crystals. Unfortunately, these Troopers had received these new suits. But in the end, it mattered little. The body and mind, after all, were the best weapons for any job.

Across from them, Cody and Jak prepared their own battle armor. As a Major in the Stormtrooper Corps, Cody was allowed to make certain requests for materials and designs when it came to his combat gear, and his armor clearly showed. Though style in the same manner of a Stormtrooper, the helmet very much resembled his old Phase 2 gear during the Clone Wars; complete with a visor attached to his helmet and an orange color scheme painted on his shoulder pads, torso and along his legs. Compared to the other Commandos in the room, the armor was relatively new. He hadn't been in active combat since the botched assault on Kamino some six years prior, and back then he hadn't been issued the gear.

But he still had a great deal of faith in it. After all, he'd tested the armor prior to wearing it… by ordering a particularly deviant recruit with a bad record to wear it while Cody took a few shots at him. Knocked down, bruised and heavy breathing, but still alive. It had been good usage of resources as it served to test his new gear, and set an example to the men. While he knew there were good fighters among them that would've given his old Legion a good run for their money, too often was he reminded that these troops paled in comparison to even the most basic Clone soldier.

He then drew from the table a heavy modified DC-15A Blaster Rifle. Though many would call it antiquated, Cody had taken a meticulous amount of time getting it up to par. He used newer polymers to drop the weight from 9.5 pounds to 6, shortened the barrel by seven inches, increased the gas capacity tube to give it greater punching power as well made the tune itself longer and making it into a proper holding grip. He also replaced the standard fixed stock with a folding wire one, and fixed on a rail system that would allow him to attach a variety of scopes. Lastly, he'd modified the magazine converter system, allowing for longer shots as well as giving the bolts a crimson color.

He popped it open and inserted its magazine charge before clipping it to a connector piece on his pauldron and allowing to hang from his chest. After this, he went through the quick procedure of filling his pouches with whatever gear he deemed necessary, as well as holstering a sidearm. As he equipped his helmet, he looked across at his partner. Jak wore the standard black and gray BDU's issued to combat troops in the ISB, including their chest plates. However, Jak had taken more precautions with his equipment, adding on elbow and knee pads while leaving the rest of his limps free.

He quickly holstered a weathered looking DL-18, and oddly enough what looked like some kind of baton. Having seen him fight, Cody knew the man picked up most of his skills in many a brawl in as many a dark slum and alley. Both weapons were product of that, and perhaps a product of the man himself. However, he did take a notable influence from another culture, one Cody was all too familiar with. He could see that plainly as Jak drew from a dufflebag what would seem like a standard ISB battle helmet except for one crucial detail: the T-handle visor, complete with a triangular sub-platting that seemed to make the cheeks seem a slight bit gaunt.

As he put it on, Jak turned to face him and flashed a yellow strobe light from the top of his helmet three times. He nodded, understanding. Jak wanted to talk. So, he slipped into their secluded, and encrypted channel. He flashed a red strobe, and a moment later Jak joined him. Right off the bat, he got right to the point:

 _"You didn't tell 'em."_

Cody shrugged:

 _"Tell them what?"_

 _"'bout our… mystery redhead."_

 _"Details, Jak. Details. I only told them what they needed to know."_

 _"Need to know. I gechya, Cody. Still, why would…"_ he froze in sentence, looking over to the Commandos before continuing, _"King, be tracking an Inquisitor? I mean, ain't he a bit… well, ya know, sketchy?"_

Despite having worked closely with the man for several months, Cody still hadn't made sense of some of the man's slang:

 _"Sketchy?"_

 _"Ya know… unqualified. I mean, don't get me wrong the guy's wicked good and all, but this ain't the kinda gig he'd usually be working. Chasin' spies is one thing, but a Red-Blade would be work left to a Brown Robe."_

Cody chuckled at that:

 _"Not all Jedi wore brown robes."_

 _"I know, I know,"_ Jak waved a hand at him, _"still, sketchy."_

 _"I know,"_ Cody replied, moving his hand rub his chin but stopped when he hit his helmet. He shook his wearily as he thought bitterly to himself:

 _Damn you, Kenobi. Damn you and your proper manners._

 _"Hey,"_ Jak broke his attention as he patted his shoulder comfortingly, _"you okay?"_

 _"Yeah. I'm okay, Jak. And to answer your previous question… well, I guess we'll ask him when we find him."_

 _"Sure. Just wonderin', is all."_

 _"Why?"_ Cody laughed at him, _"You getting cold on me, Jak?"_

 _"Hell no, suh!"_ Jak chuckled back, _"What, ya kidding? I'm with you till the end of the line, pal."_

 _"I'm glad. I just hope tonight the long chase ends."_

Cody then switched over comm.'s as he bellowed:

 _"How we doing on that signal, pilot!?"_

The shuttled pilot came over the line:

 _"I've sent our transmission six separate times, sir! Don't know if it's atmo-interference, or what, but I can't get through."_

 _"Yup,"_ Jak nodded simply, _"our boy's in there alright."_

* * *

 _"But I must protest, Capitan!"_

 _"All the records, Commander. Or I'll have to turn this whole inspection into an investigation."_

 _"But some of those records have been sealed…"_

 _"On whose authority? Mine. Now I'm telling you to hand them over. Right…_ _ **now**_ _."_

 _"Captain, this is… most peculiar. The other inspectors—"_

 _"Didn't have cause to believe Rebels spies had infiltrated higher up facilities."_

King then slammed his data-tablet in front of him, showing him footage of a dozen different attacks over the past few months. Sturn eyed him coldly:

 _"You're Bureau, aren't you?"_

 _"I'm whatever my superiors demand I be."_

 _"Am I under investigation?"_

 _"Not at the moment."_

 _"Then what—"_

 _"Commander, in case you haven't realized the importance of this facility perhaps I should—"_

There was another vibration in his ear. He opened his mouth, and Outlaw came on the line, frantic. King groaned visibly, and he used it as an excuse to drop into his seat like he was feeling ill. Something had gone wrong:

 _"King, this is Outlaw. We got a problem. An unscheduled shuttle just touched down on the southside platform. Its black in color, and the guys comin' out of it look mean as hell."_

King shook his head, and sighed as he replied:

 _"Time to go to Plan B, then."_

 _"Who are you talking—"_

Suddenly, King struck him across the face. The blow had been practiced and honed, breaking the man's cheek in a sudden splatter of red. Falling on the floor, Sturn tried to rise and drew his sidearm. Before he could get it into a proper firing pose, King kicked it of his hand and then followed up with another to the man's jaw. He then snatched the blade from Sturn's desk and threw himself at the man.

King let the last fifteen minutes' worth of rage power into his strikes. He kicked the man onto his chest, then grabbed him by his hair and started slamming him into the floor until his nose shattered from the impacts. He then held up his head as the man spluttered through a mouth of grool, blood and broken teeth:

 _"Pppp-leeassee…"_

 _"How many?"_

 _"Wwwwhatt?"_

 _"How many 'xenos' asked for the same?"_

 _"I ddddon'tt—"_

 _"Too many."_

King then slit the man's throat, going right into his trachea, and left him to drown in his blood as he searched his pocket. Soon enough, he found the access card to the bases records, and another for general access to the base. He then grabbed the Commander's blaster, and the knife; stuffing them into varying pockets.

 _"Outlaw, King. I need a waypoint, Over."_

 _"Copy, King. Hang a right an' keep goin' till I tell you."_

* * *

The seven men soon rushed into the lobby. Cody was already disappointed. There wasn't a single Stormtrooper in sight.

 _"Who the hell are you guys?"_

Jak immediately rushed the young technician, quickly plucking out his credentials:

 _"Agent Nova, ISB. Was there a Clone here?"_

 _"Yeah, he just went up ten minutes ago—"_

 _"He's a Reb. Sound the alarm and put the base on lockdown, now! Oh, and where's your nearest lift?"_

* * *

 _"Hey!"_ one of the black uniformed technicians shouted as King suddenly entered the room, shutting and sealing the room behind, _"you're not supposed to be in here!"_

 _"Sorry, got turned around."_

He then drew the blaster and shot the man square in the face, before quickly doing the same to the other two in the room. Making his way to the air ventilation system, King ripped off his officer cylinder pins. He unscrewed the first one revealing a series of green vails. The second he pulled apart, forming a breathing tube.

 _"Don't forget,"_ Outlaw called in his ear, _"the gas will only kill the folk on this floor. Everybody else below will only get knocked out. And if they got bucketheads, it'll filter them."_

 _"Understood, Outlaw. Only need to clear a path, and buy a few minutes."_

 _"Speaking of which, bad guys are on the lift headin' up. I'll shut 'em down, buy you a few more."_

 _"Thanks, Outlaw."_

 _"No don't go doing anything stupid, Cowboy. If things even get warm, you abort. You hear? I want you to come back after all."_

 _"Thanks, mom."_

" _Ah, shut up."_

King then slipped the tube into his mouth, and tossed the green veils into the vents.

* * *

As they hit the elevator, the alarms started to go off. It would still take them three minutes to get to the top. A minute in however, the elevator suddenly stopped.

 _"Did you press the stop button?"_

 _"No, did you?"_

Cody shook his head, and Jak sighed:

 _"Well, there's more than one way out. Boys, you got grapplers on you?"_

King opened the door to find a room full of death, and the alarms blaring. All thirty of the command crew were lying splattered upon whatever they could fall upon. He checked his chron. The gas would dissipate in three minutes, and hopefully he would have at least eight to make his extraction. Outlaw would be waiting for him.

* * *

Quickly, King made his way to records room. Inside was a terminal room full of nothing but terminals. Quickly, he plugged into the central control room using Sturn's access card. Data files started going up, and he quickly began to shuffle through them. Attempting to download the whole package would take too long, and besides he only need to things.

But first he needed to find them.

 _"How we doing, Outlaw?"_

 _"Ah, you gotta be kidding me!"_

* * *

The tower was more than three hundred feet high. This required the troopers to repel up a few floors at a time and climb up. Cody groaned under the effort.

 _"I really should've brought my jet-pack."_

Jak chuckled at him:

 _"How 'bout a whole new elevator while you're at it!"_

* * *

King shuffled through the data files until finally he came across a hidden file marked _#34-578-01 Her?_ When he pulled it up, he came across a video stream of an all too familiar face, hidden by her scarlet hair, her Coruscantian voice filling the morbid air:

 _"I will require all records you have on the outlying systems, including all new courses into the Unknown Territories."_

 _"And what do you expect to find out there in the cold vacuum, all alone, my dear?"_

 _"Save your flattery for someone who cares, Sturn."_

 _"I'm just curious as to why someone as lovely as you is trudging off into the Unknown Regions."_

 _"Just because I look like some Royals Concubine doesn't mean I'm not suited to the task. Now, are you going to hand over what I need, or do I need to stuff you alongside your other trophies?"_

King nodded. The time stamp said a few weeks prior. That made sense, considering his intel. Now he needed to know where she took the good doctor. He pulled up the shipping manifests. His hunch was that wherever she was going, this place was shipping to.

It took them exactly four minutes to reach the top. The Storm Commandos originally wanted to simply blow the door open. But Cody and Jak staunchly refused, not wanting to lose their element of surprise. So instead, they used a make shift winch using one of their grapplers to pry the door open. And after a minute, they were in.

 _"King, they are on the floor! Abort! Abort!"_

 _"Damnit, Outlaw! I've almost got it!"_

 _"No! Abort right now! They are coming your way! Abort now! Acknowledge!"_

 _"Blast,"_ King cursed, _"Acknowledged."_

Quickly, he ripped the card out, and moved out through the door. The hallway was clear, so he started making his way to the main room.

 _"I was close, Outlaw,"_ he whispered softly, _"I almost got it."_

 _"Did the redhead come through here?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Then we got half of it. Look, don't fret, we'll figure it out."_

 _"I was close."_

 _"Close to what?"_ a sudden, hard urban accent King had once heard on a waterfront world sounded behind him, _"Retirement? Bucko, you're least ten years past that. What? Couldn't get a hobby? Maybe take up mynok-hunting?"_

King had the sudden urge to turn around and ask what the hell this guy was talking about, but then another, all too familiar voice stopped him cold in his tracks:

 _"Don't even think about it… Vod."_

Vod. It was Mando'a for Brother. King sighed deeply, and shook his head sadly. Of course, it had to be him. After all, who else would they send?

He raised his hands above his head, and slowly turned around, the familiar orange and white armor coming into view. His voice somber, he greeted him curtly:

 _"Cody."_

Major Cody looked at him for a few seconds, his eyes moving up and down the figure standing before him. Much had changed since the last time they'd seen each other, five years ago. And some hadn't. He still had his domineering figure, like a human rock with his broad shoulders and chest. The uniform he wore looked down right uncomfortable, a tad degree under hilariocity.

Then he moved up to his face. The last he'd seen him, he'd been sporting a massive, bushy beard, and had a shaved scalp. Now though, he could clearly see the broad and heavy chin, the large crooked nose that looked like it'd been broken many times over, his snow-white crewcut; along with the new scars lining him up and down. All in all, the man looked grizzled, old and weary.

 _No, not old,_ Cody thought to himself, _older. And afterall, who am I to judge?_

What hadn't changed though were the man's eyes. Cunning, sly, deceptive. Always planning, always ready to out-fox his opponent. Even now, his eyes moved about the figures surrounding him. Planning the odds, always.

 _"Rex."_

Cody slowly brought up his hands around his helmet.

 _"Um, Cody? What're you doing?"_

With a simple tug, the helmet came loose, holding it at his side, and for the first time everyone in the room could see the true relation between the two men. Almost identical in every way. Truly… brothers. The two men locked eyes, softening from predatory to a genuine sadness. Sadness at what had come between them. Cody broke contact first, his eyes darting to the floor as he broke the silence between them:

 _"It's been a long time, my friend."_

Rex nodded knowingly:

 _"Yes… yes, it has."_

More silence. This time, Rex carried on as he asked simply:

 _"What are you doing here, Cody? You're a long way from Kamino."_

Cody's eyes went back to him as he replied, gravely:

 _"I've come to bring you in, Rex. It's time."_

Rex eyes bore into him inquisitively:

 _"Why, Cody? Why now? After what I did for you… and the rest of us."_

Cody turned his head away as he replied:

 _"I… I can't stand by and let you tear apart the galaxy we helped protect… helped build."_

 _"Yeah,"_ Rex shook his head miserably, _"over the mountain of betrayed friends."_

 _"They betrayed the Republic, Rex. We had to do it."_

 _"And you know that's not true, Cody. We were played, Cody. Used like the very clankers we were fighting to destroy."_

 _"That's not true."_

 _"It is, Cody. Fives died for that truth. And you,"_ Rex shook his head at him and sighed, _"you siding with the Empire… you dishonor his memory."_

 _"Rex,"_ Cody took a step forward, almost pleading with him as he raised his hand at him, _"the Empire… it isn't perfect. But neither was the Republic."_

 _"The Republic didn't enslave people and commit genocide against those who would resist their rule."_

 _"They made us, remember? Given only one purpose in life. Never a choice in the matter."_

 _"To save a galaxy."_

 _"And that's exactly what the Empire's doing, Rex. It's not pretty, but it can't be. We have to do what we have to do to keep it together… to keep it safe."_

 _"Cody… a friend once told me that when we give up freedom for safety… well, we don't deserve either."_

 _"Why are you still so stubborn, Rex?"_

 _"Why are you, Cody?"_

Cody shook his head sluggishly, a great weight of disappointment growing on his face. Then, unexpectable, Jak Nova step forth, removing his helmet to reveal his face. He addressed him, a great deal of respect and woe laced in his voice:

 _"Rex… you don't know me, but I know a lot about you."_

 _"You're the one who's been hunting me for the past five months."_

 _"That I am."_

 _"Your superiors must truly hate you."_

Jak laughed a little at that:

 _"Oh, yus. Yes, they do. Not to say it hasn't been fun. You are wicked good at yawr job, if I do say so myself. But that ain't the point."_

 _"Then what is then?"_

 _"I was given this assignment. I brought Cody 'long cause he knew you. Been chasing you ever since. But, Cody made me promise him somethin'. That you'd be treated fairly."_

 _"What? Fair trial and all that? Thanks, but you're young. You haven't seen the true evils the Empire has done."_

 _"Actually, sir,"_ Jak replied, remorse and regret filling his voice as he shivered slightly, _"I have. It's… part of the reason I'm out here."_

 _"And yet you would still defend the Empire? Why?"_

 _"Cause Cody's right. Look, I grew up in a rough place. Had to fight to live, you understand? Hell, I look it. The Empire ain't pretty, but it brought somethings good to my home… and got me the hell off it. And without it… well there'd a thousand, a million more worlds like mine. All starvin', rotten and just tryna make it on without self-imploding. You know it. You and Cody saw it in the Clone Wars. You really want that again?"_

 _"Kid, they snuffed out millions of people in a flash—"_

 _"And you wouldn't have done the same, in yawr days, if it came to it? Rex, people need somethin' strong to get behind. And like it or not, Empire's the biggest kehd on the block."_

Rex nodded, pointing at his war helmet:

 _"Is that why you styled your helmet like that? You're clearly not a Mandalorian."_

Jak closed his eyes, his head shaking remorsefully, his voice almost a somber whisper:

 _"No, sur. I'm not. But… someone I knew was. I… I like to think I honor her memory, wearing her people's colors."_

 _"I'm truly sorry."_

Cody placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, nodding knowingly at him, before stepping out again to face his oldest friend:

 _"Rex, you have to come with us. There's no getting out of this."_

 _"Always do."_

 _"Not this time. If you come in quietly… if you cooperate fully, Jak has guaranteed you a fair hearing. Rex…"_ he stepped out again, coming closer to him, _"come with me. And we can set things right."_

 _"Thanks, Cody. But I can't accept."_

He started to back up when suddenly Jak took a shot at the ground in front of his foot, and Rex froze. Jak shook his head at him:

 _"Like I said, sir, I know a lot 'bout you. Like when you're about to try something. Now, don't move. I really don't want to aim higher."_

 _"Don't worry,"_ Rex suddenly grinned, _"not going anywhere."_

 _"What are you— "_

Suddenly a bright white light cut through the darkness of the room, the flood lights blinding them in all in its powerful essence. Then, after a minute, their eyes grew adjusted enough to see the source. Through the lightning and smoke, mist and clouds surrounding the tower in his blanket of darkness emerged a single ship; hovering in front of the window like a banshee in a dying man's last moments. It was a Corellian vessel, a VCX-100 Light Frieghter model. Slowly, its lights moved from one side of the room to the other, moving from person to person.

Like it was highlighting targets.

 _"Get down!"_

Cody shot from his position, tackling Jak to the ground as suddenly the ship opened fire. Rex dropped to the floor as a storm of crimson bolts ripped through the towers windows and began to slice apart the room. Anybody who was standing more than two feet up were cut down, their bodies punctured and shredded from the impacts that sent them hurtling into any nearest wall or something or other that would stop their momentum. After a full minute, the firing stopped.

 _"King, you're all clear. I'll be waitin' on the far side of the tower."_

Rex slowly rose to his feet as he answered gratefully:

 _"Thanks for the save, Warren."_

 _"Hey, what I'm here for. Now, get your ass movin'!"_

Rex quickly took off at a run.

* * *

Jak and Cody groaned on the floor as suddenly the Agent spotted their target moving. In a leap, he rose and took off after him.

 _"Jak, don't!"_

 _"I'm not losing 'em again!"_

 _"Stupid kid,"_ Cody cursed as he got off the floor, taking off after him, " _he'll kill you."_

Rex started moving down a long hallway. Suddenly there was blaster fire coming at him. He bobbed and dodged as Jak took shots at him with DL-18, running and shooting. Rex ducked down, drawing his own blaster but quickly changing his mind when he saw Cody coming in too. Then suddenly the door slid shut like an executioner's axe, splitting the pair up.

Rex quickly took off and ducked into another room, dodging the ISB Agent's constant barrage of fire. He cursed softly as he turned to the door:

 _"Cody! You okay?"_

 _"Yeah! Blast, the doors controls aren't working!"_

Jak grimaced. Someone had remote control over the facilities systems. But who and how? He shook his head. Questions for another time as Cody then responded:

 _"I'm going to circle around and find another way in! Wait for me!"_

 _"Rex ran into one of these rooms! I'm goin' in after him!"_

 _"No damnit! Wait for backup!"_

 _"Sorry, Major! I started this, I'm gonna finish it!"_

Jak then rose from his fighting position and advanced down the hallway. He reached where Rex had ducked into. The door was closed. Quickly, he reached for the controls, his weapon trained on it. Then suddenly, the door slid up and Rex charged him.

Before he could even blink, the veteran warrior was upon him. He grabbed at his weapon hands, thrusting them upward towards the ceiling and causing Jak to discharge a shot into an overhead light. It exploded with a loud report, its electrical contents descending upon the pair in a dazzling shower of wire and currents. Jak instinctually ducked the incoming debris, and for that Rex push-kicked him in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall; his head colliding with the window. The blow had been jarring, his head felt suddenly light like it'd been filled with helium, and when he reached to the back of his scalp his hand came back with blood.

He then heard the squealing of boots on the floor and looked up to see Rex coming at him. He fired at him, missing his first two shots as the Clone ducked underneath his firing arc, and his third completely blocked as the blaster was literally punched right out of his hand, discharging as it went. Jak's next move was to immediately tuck his elbows in his chests, his fists raised above his head as Rex threw haymakers at him. He dipped and moved with the hits, absorbing the damage before dropping into a tackle; throwing all his weight right into the senior Commanders torso. He got a few feet before Rex regained his footing, and then slammed his elbow right into the Agents spine.

The blow sent shockwaves of pain rolling through his back like a great tidal wave. But he gritted his teeth and ignored it, replying in kind by bring his head up and slamming it right into the Clones chin as he came up. As Rex recoiled from the blow, Jak threw a right hook across his cheek, causing him to fall towards the wall. He then tried to follow up with another, but before he could he got another kick to the chest. But this time he was ready, his feet digging into the ground as he went a few feet and stopped, regaining his footing.

He immediately dropped into a boxer's stance, fists raised in front of his head, and his knees bent slightly as he leaned forward. Rex dropped into his combat stance, except he kept his hands out in front and open, like a wrestler in a tussle. Rex chuckled at him slightly as the two men locked eyes:

" _Not bad, kid. You almost fight like a Mando."_

" _Heh, well… I try to steal from the best."_

With his last syllable, Jak struck low and fast with a right cross followed by a left. Rex immediately went on the defense, using his arms and elbows to intercept incoming strikes in midair and redirect them away from him. As he did this, he shifted his footing and started moving away from the wall and down the hallway. Jak continued his offensive, throwing in hooks, haymakers and even a few bolo punches. Rex continued to block and redirect, moving slowly down the hall.

He wanted to study his opponent and his capabilities before he went into his counter. Jak pressed his assault, throwing in a shin kick, followed quickly by a cross. Rex however nimbly blocked the first with a counter kick of his own, and instead of blocking his cross: simply ducked under it and delivered a debilitating swing right under the younger man's ribs. As expected, the Agent dropped back into a defensive half-crouch: elbows tucked in and hands raised as he bobbed back and circled him. He then closed again, throwing a few feints just to keep him on his toes.

 _Aggressive,_ Rex thought to himself as he bobbed from his strikes, continuing to pull back, _Aggressive and experienced. Clearly the kid's got a handle in a fight. And been in more than a few._

However, every move he made was plainly predictable, and after several more seconds found that the Agent's arsenal was severely lacking. A series of jabs, followed by a few hooks, followed by a shin kick and a cross. But nothing else to add variety. The man did have training, but Rex concluded that he was fighting more like brawler in a street fight than a proper martial artist. Trying to wear down his defense rather than outmaneuver it.

With that in mind, Rex decided to end their game. As Jak threw another cross at him, Rex simply ducked under his strike and threw an uppercut; tagging his mouth and sending him reeling. Jak staggered back, wiping blood from his mouth as he regrouped and then reengaged. He threw a series of jabs at him, Rex blocking two and on the third he whipped to the side, the punch going over his head. As it did, he trapped it with his right hand and followed with a heavy-handed left hook to the armpit, stunning the Agent.

Rex then swung under his trapped arm, switching off from his right to left. Jak immediately swung at him, but Rex met his hit with his own. First, he struck out at his swinging arm with a chop to the forearm, reeling it. He then struck forward like a thunderbolt, hitting the nerve cluster between his chest and shoulder. The hot, searing pain that shot from the strike stunned Jak just enough for Rex to then follow with bolo punch straight to the stomach.

Jak dropped from the blow, allowing for Rex to then wrap his hand over the back of his neck. He then used it to then drive his knee straight into the man's nose. It broke on impact, showering his face in hot blood as needles seem to rip into his brain. Rex then shoved the man forward, giving him the needed to room to once again push-kick him straight into the wall with a loud _crack_ , falling to the floor in a heap. Rex shook his head at him, and turn about to make his way to extraction point.

He got no more than three feet when he suddenly heard a subtle _vu-shing_ sound, and the clatter of feet coming at him. He whirled around, instinctually raising his arm as Jak, bloody and battered, came at him with a baton. Rex blocked the first strike with one of his own, chopping at it and sending it back. However, Jak simply used this as a means to loop the baton around his upward guard, step in and strike at the back of Rex's outstretched knee.

Exclaiming with pain as fire shot up his thigh, Rex dropped to the floor. Jak quickly followed up with a three-sequence strike: one to the lower back, shoulder blades and to the back of the head. Rex knew he could defend himself from the blows, and knew he had to get the man off his back. So, reacting from the blow to the head, he rolled forward and ended up on his back to the floor. As Jak closed in, Rex raised his knee to his chest, and like a rubberband used it to spring his foot right into the Agents shin.

He howled in pain, clutching at it as he hobbled back, but Rex wasn't just finished. He then torqued his body to launch a round house, striking him in his back and sending him away the precious few seconds he needed to get back up. But to his amazement, Jak was still coming at him! Any sense or strategy went out the window as he lunged at Rex like a wild dog, snarling madly as he did. He swung wide and viciously at him, hitting the walls and floor as much as his target as Rex bobbed and weaved.

He took a step back, and then caught his baton hand by the wrist and slammed it into a wall. Jak immediately countered by smashing his fist square into Rex's face, knocking him back. Wiping blood from his bloodied lip, Rex eyed him cold as Jak kept coming for him. But this time he had enough. As Jak swung at him, he caught the arm and used it to flip him over his shoulder and across the hallway with a hip-toss.

But no sooner than Jak hit the ground then he was immediately trying to get off it, though considerably slower as his body screamed him at the ridiculous amount of trauma he was putting it through. He just gritted his teeth and was on his feet, ready to charge Rex again. Rex, however, drew a knife from his boot and at the sight of it, Jak slowed to a stop. Rex dropped into a knife-fighters crouch: blade held in his right, left on guard; legs shifted and his back bent to give more reach. Jak did the same, his baton held length ways out.

Rex just shook his head at him. His face was an utter mess, absolutely bathed in blood; his body shaking somewhat. His eyes blazed with righteous fury, his anger the only thing keeping him from falling flat.

" _You got a lot of heart, kid,"_ Rex said after a spell, _"I'm sorry for what I'm going to do."_

Jak Nova just glared at him, wiping blood from his mouth which was just as quickly replaced. There was no humor left in his eyes as he growled:

" _Funny, was 'bout to say the same thing, old man."_

He then lunged forward, striking forth with his baton before following up with a heavy combination of overhead swings. The air was filled with the sparks of metal on metal as the two danced and tangoed: taking swings, thrusts, blocks and counter strikes. They bobbed back and forth, feet shuffling from position to position from strike to strike. The movements and tension of the bout made time feel like an age. The irony was it had only gone for seconds.

Jak then struck forth, stepping in as he did. Rex however immediately caught the baton arm and trapped it, dragging it as he slashed across the man's thigh, and in an upward motion moved right up into his weapon arm in one single flash of silver. Jak screamed in pain, lashing out with his free hand and knocking Rex back a step. He panted and gargled from the fire consuming him, his body protesting for him to stop. But he pressed on, switching his baton from his left hand to his right.

In response, Rex shifted the knife from his right to his left, and circled his opponent. As the man eyed him like a pissed off Dire Wolf, he could only sigh. The man's single minded focus to take him down warranted him respect, considering the hell he was already putting him through. He was limping, barely able to stand, bloodied and broken. And yet, he kept on fighting.

That left only one thing for him to do then. He struck first, swinging and stabbing at his opponent. Jak started using his baton like a shield, the length held along his arm as he desperately tried to hold him off. But his limp leg was making this problematic, preventing him from being able to keep pace with Rex as he continued to drive him back. Then Rex moved in, striking at his baton hand with a blow that sent him staggering. He swapped the blade from left to right, and stepped in; grabbing Jak's right arm by the wrist and pulling him open.

Before Jak could even counter, Rex buried the knife right into his shoulder! He screamed out in pain, trying to retaliate as Rex then began to push him towards the wall using the embedded blade as leverage. He slammed him against the wall, and in a flash extracted the blade, slashing at Jak's left arm before proceeding to slam it right through the side of his thigh! He screamed bloody murder, petrified to the spot as liquid fire ripped through his body and left his mind quaking in agony. But Rex wasn't finished with him yet.

Using the knife, and by extension his leg, as leverage, Rex lifted the man from the ground and threw him over his shoulder. He tossed him onto the floor, sprawling onto his back with a loud _thud._ Rex shook his head at the broken heap, regret in his voice as he addressed him:

" _I'm sorry, but I can't have you following me."_

He then knocked him unconscious with a kick to the head.

* * *

Watching from a monitor screen, Outlaw spotted Cody moving down the hallway. She eyed her partner moving down an adjacent hallway, after so brutally dispatching the ISB Agent. She switched cameras, noticing three separate doors that would allow the Clone Major to catch up with Rex. She pulled out the software key, typing a few simple commands to lock the doors one by one. At the first door, Cody stood baffled.

Then he looked up at the camera. She grinned slyly at him:

" _That's right, big boy. I got all your fancy toys at my fingertips. Now, whatchya gonna do 'bout that, huh?"_

The screen went crimson, and then replaced by static.

" _Me and my big mouth,"_ she cursed silently as one by one each of the cameras suffered the same fate. Still, she noted, she'd at least bought him a few more seconds. Suddenly, alarm systems started going off, and she swiveled in her chair. She checked her radar panels, and she nodded wearily. TIE Fighters were incoming.

* * *

So, someone had hacked the facilities systems. His guess was whoever was flying that freighter. Which also made him think earlier about what Jak had said. Why was Rex going through all this effort to find someone he normally wouldn't be sent to find in the first place. However, thinking of Jak made him check his priorities.

He knew he couldn't last long against the former Commando Captain. They'd been trained by the best, and worst, the galaxy had to offer, and then some. And he also assumed that the doors getting closed was meant to keep him out. That was fine with him. He had other ways of getting in.

He ran to the end of the hall, stopping at the very last door. He then removed from his belt a satchel charge, and got to work hooking it up to the door.

* * *

Rex finished applying the tourniquet to Agent's leg, and started to make his way down the hall. It was a mistake, his mind told him. He chuckled as his mentor's, and in some ways partner in crime, voice rang in his ear:

 _Never leave the foe breathing. After all, you wouldn't show mercy to a wolf viper now, would you? Well, maybe unless you want a couple new holes in your hide. But knowing you, you just might._

He shook his head. Shrike was right, of course. He had over seventy years in his belt to prove that point. But he couldn't help but admire the kid's courage and fortitude. It was rare to see one like him to have any sense of passion beyond credits or glory.

He truly believed what he said back there, and he couldn't really fault that. Nor could he just leave him to bleed out. Yes, Jacen would of course tell him he'd just keep coming back for more until his number came up. But as he would say to him:

" _A problem for tomorrow."_

Suddenly, the door in front of him caved in under a billowing shockwave. He fell to the floor, covering his head as the door tore through the wall to his left and fell into the world outside. As such, it left a fairly large hole in its wake and fog rolled into the room along with the planets toxic air. Rex rose, slipping his breathing tube into his mouth and raising his blaster as in stepped Major Cody. Once friend, once brother, now his enemy.

Cody stared at him through the visor of his helmet, eyes fixed, his rifle raised upon him as he advanced closer and closer until the two of them were clearly in sight of one another. There would be no running between the two. Not without the other getting shot to pieces. And they both knew it might very well come to that.

" _Where is he?"_ Cody growled through his helmet, his eyes boring into Rex's psyche.

" _Alive,"_ he answered, _"for now."_

* * *

She pulled back the throttle, warning lights and sensor scans going wild as the freighter dipped and dived through emerald fire. The shields on the ship flared and buckled in constant waves of icy blue under bombardment. Flights of screaming TIE's darting left and right as Outlaw pushed the throttle to the floor and shot right through the middle of them, clipping one by the solar panel as she did. Crimson bolts echoed back at the flying black mass coming at her, her rear-view camera's tracking a squadron of eight, highlighting them in background of red and shifting gold lines. Constant streams of information etched its way onto the screen: describing speeds, weapon angles and targeting vectors.

As they closed, she eased her right hand to the joystick. She gave it a wiggle, getting an easy response back from the dorsal cannon. More enemy fire came in, impacting her shields. She eyes the control panel, noting power fluctuations as the shield integrity dropped from 90 to 73%. Closer and closer they came, reigning more and more fire as they did.

 _The Ghost_ was a sturdy ship, but Outlaw knew well it couldn't outrun these fighters. But then again that was exactly what she was counting on.

" _Maybe fast,"_ she whispered softly as the ship buckled from more incoming fire, _"but you guys can't bank worth a damn."_

Her monitors warned they would be upon her less than fifteen seconds. Shields dropped to 54%. She shifted her hand on the stick, tracking movements. 43%. She licked her lips in anticipation. Five seconds. She then smiled her killer angel smile.

" _Come on in, boys!"_

She then threw back the throttle, dropping speed to near zero in less than a second as the TIE fighters flew right past her. Now her left hand went to the second joy stick, the nose cannon coming online as she swung the dorsal cannon around. As the Ghost started to plummet down towards the surface, her hands and tracking screens went to work. Crimson bolts shot from the falling ship and started blasting Fighters out of the sky one by one as they flew forth. It took them precious seconds to register their target was not only behind them, but was also beneath them.

They flung round, as wing after wing detonated in thunderous explosions. They tumbled in fireballs, plummeting towards the earth with the shrieking roars of shattering crescendos. Now Outlaw was getting warning flashes along her panel. 200 meters to the surface. Now 100.

She moved her left hand back to the stick, pulling up just in time as the under belly of the freighter scrapped the valley of stalactites. Her feet adjusted the speed as the ship thundered upward, gunning it straight for the TIE's.

" _C'mon,"_ Outlaw grinned, _"let's play some chicken."_

Her hands went back to the gunner controls. The TIE Fighters were coming straight down. Six of them, she noted. They opened fire, the impacts rocking the ship. 43% went to 31%. Four bolts at time replied.

One TIE exploded in a blaze. Then a second. Then a third. Far below the darkened valley knew now the unnatural, thunderous crescendo of fire and light. Echoes of crashes rang for miles around as the night took a step back to the blaring display. Three more TIE's, screaming in their thirst for vengeance.

31% to 15%.

" _Hold it together, darling,"_ Outlaw soothed as she dropped a fourth, _"just gimme a little more."_

The three remaining TIE's then darted left and right as the Ghost flew past them.

" _Fool you once, shame on me. Fool you twice,"_ she grinned, _"and you're too cooked to care."_

She kicked back the throttle to literally zero, sending the Ghost into freefall. The TIE's looped around, hoping to catch the Ghost as it flew up but found it coming right them. Before they could move or react, the night sky became as bright as suns, the air as hot as a forge. And before long, reality became as black as pitch. A great feeling of satisfaction filled Outlaws mind when suddenly the screens started screaming with alarms.

" _Ah, you gotta be kidding!"_

More were coming.

* * *

" _You hear that?"_

Rex nodded as the ground shook with the echoes of explosions and air with the whine of fighters in flight. Cody took another step towards him, his weapon drawn but held only at the ready.

" _Whoever your pilot is, he won't last long out there."_

" _We'll see,"_ Rex grinned slightly, _"she's gotten me through worse."_

" _Rex,"_ Cody took another step forward, and Rex took one back, his weapon drawn but not pointed, _"I don't want to have to kill you."_

" _I don't either."_

" _Then put that down and give yourself up."_

" _No."_

Cody stopped in his tracks.

" _Rex, if it isn't me… then it'll be someone else. Someone who won't ask first."_

" _Really? Who do they send after you?"_

Cody shook his head at him:

" _Do you honestly think you can take down the Empire? All by yourself?"_

" _Not by myself. Cody,"_ now Rex took a step towards him, _"you offered me a chance, now I'm going to offer you one. Help me, please."_

" _Rex… I can't."_

" _Then let me go. I know deep down you want to."_

" _The mission always comes first. You said that once. A lifetime ago."_

" _I did. But do you really believe that?"_

" _What are you talking about?"_

Rex gestured to the fog around them:

" _Your partner. As I said, he's alive. For— "_ he then pulled up his chrome, _"the next 2 minutes."_

Though Rex couldn't see Cody's eyes, he could tell from his body language, the sudden slant of the shoulders and the tilt of the head that he was indeed destressed. Rex continued:

" _That's how long he has until his brain takes in too much of this CO2 and shuts down. Though he is unconscious, so that'll give him maybe another minute."_

" _What are you—"_

" _Cody, I can't let you take me in,"_ Rex interrupted, his eyes suddenly becoming cold, _"and I know that you would take me down. You have armor and a better weapon. But you and I both know it would take you a long while. And by the time you do take me down, it'll be too late for your friend."_

" _Jak wouldn't want me to—"_

" _But I know you, Cody. You've never let one of yours die that you couldn't save. What I am proposing is simple. My escape, for his life. It's up to you."_

" _Rex, please—"_

" _Two minute fifteen, Cody."_

" _Why are you—"_

" _It is as you said, Cody. The mission always comes first. And mine isn't finished yet."_

Cody shook his head at him, his weapon slumping to the side, his voice conveying the equal measures of horror, disgust and utter shock he was rolling with:

" _Rex… this isn't like you."_

" _Two minute three."_

" _For Maker's sake, would you just listen!?"_ he jutted a finger at him, _"can't you see the Rebellion has… changed you!? The Rex I know would never use another man's life as a bargaining chip!"_

" _The Rebellion didn't change me, Cody."_

" _What happened to you, Rex? How did you become… this?"_

For the first time since the end of the Clone Wars, Cody saw true and raw pain in his eyes. He closed them, bowing his head and shaking it as he replied:

" _Not what happened to me, Cody. What happened to Echo."_

He then turned his head back up to him, declaring:

" _I am what I need to be, Cody. I learned a long time ago I can't afford to be a soldier. I can't fight your Empire like one either. You though still are. And I know you'll make the right choice in the end."_

He then brushed past him, making his way to the end of the hall. He called back to the still standing Cody:

" _One minute twenty. Oh, and be careful when you move him. He's pretty badly banged up."_

Cody shook his head, watching him go.

" _Damn you, Rex,"_ he cursed softly, _"this isn't over."_

He then took off down the hall back to where his partner lay dying.

* * *

Outlaw ducked and dived under the incoming Fighters, going low to the ground and using the canyons and salt fields as cover as the TIE's screamed on after her tail. Her shields were barely present, forcing her to focus all her will on just trying to avoid getting hit. All her years as a fighter pilot flowed through her palms. The memories of the academy, her combat missions, the long years slowly making her way from TIE Fighter wing to Interceptor and finally, among the first to pilot a Defender during the Battle of Lothal. Right now, she almost wished she was back in the cockpit of one.

If for nothing else, it was a hellovalot easier to maneuver than this old war dog. Her eyes darted left as collision strobes went blazing. Radar showed fairly large outcroppings ahead. She smiled simply, once again licking her lips.

" _Right boys. You want me? Come and get me."_

Her right hand went to joystick, and she fired right into the salt patties below her. They exploded in a massive shockwave of sand, soot and minerals. They lifted nearly sixty feet into the air, and Outlaw flew right into it. The TIE's soon followed. Collision lights blared into a constant whine, radar charts displaying constant readouts.

Ahead was a trench. She dived into it. As she did, she spotted a large stone natural archway. She switched hands, the dorsal cannon coming online as she blasted it. She didn't have time to confirm any kills.

She only hoped.

" _King,"_ she called into her mike, _"if you're out there, I need you to hurry. I won't last much longer out here."_

* * *

" _Outlaw, I'm on the southside. I'm popping red flares. Confirm."_

" _Outlaw confirms, King. I'm comin' in, and I'm comin' in hot."_

" _Roger."_

He fired directly into the window, and kicked away the shard remaining. He reached for his last insignia capsule, pulled it apart and igniting the flare. Soon enough, the Ghost came into sight. As did a half dozen TIE Fighters.

" _Warren, I'm going to do a Blind Faith."_

Outlaw screamed into his ear:

" _No, don't! At this rate, I don't know if I can catch you!"_

" _No choice. I trust you, Warren."_

" _Damn you, Rex. Damn you."_

" _Yeah. So, everybody keeps telling me."_

He ran back into the hallway, and then sprinted back. He leapt out the window, dolphin diving straight for the ground. Then the Ghost appear below him, its loading ramp open and beckoning for him. He readied him, and within a second caught on the loading clamp.

" _Warren, I'm on! Go!"_

The ship suddenly slipped up and Rex hit the ramp with a loud thud. He allowed himself to roll right into the cargo hold, the ramp closing behind him. As the ship went up, Rex went up the ladder and made his way to the main body of the vessel. He went down the hallway, turning left and going up the ladder to the dorsal cannon position. Within seconds, he was strapped in.

" _Warren, how's our exit looking?"_

" _Thirty seconds! We're gonna be cutting it tight!"_

He chuckled to himself.

" _Don't we always?"_

" _Do you want me to take you back?"_

" _Sure,"_ he laughed back, _"just leave me a rifle and a knife, and I'll take on the whole Empire myself."_

" _Somehow, I see you doing that!"_

The ship flashed green. Rex locked onto the weapon controls and started to return fire. He hit one square in the viewport, but the others were swerving in and out like hornets, making it almost impossible to hit them. It always marveled him how the blazes Warren managed to make as many kills as she did. Then again, he was a spy and a soldier, not a flyboy.

Though that was never something he'd ever call Warren. At least not to her face. The world around him then became stars and darkness. He looked left, and more emerald flashes came off their bow as an Escort Cruiser ahead of him started to take potshots.

" _I'm makin' the jump!"_ Warren called over the line, _"Stand by, and pray she won't take a hissy and strand us while you're at it!"_

He soothed his hand over the smooth metal of the ship.

" _Have faith, Warren!"_

" _I wish."_

And then within a second the world seemed to contort and stretch as it went from black to blue and white in seconds. Now, for the first time in three weeks, Rex allowed himself to take a sigh of relief as he collapsed into his chair. Warren quickly called on the line:

" _Rex, I need to see you in person. There's… somethin' I need to talk to you about."_

There was a heavy note of woe in her voice that made him shiver slightly. He nodded:

" _On my way."_

He needed to debrief her anyway. He just hoped whatever came first wouldn't break his mood first. He climbed out of the dorsal position and slipped down the ladder. In another minute, he reached the front. And there, he found Outlaw waiting for him. As he entered, she rushed him and embraced him deeply. He returned the hug as he soothed:

" _I'm okay, Tila,"_ he finally allowed himself to use her first name, _"really, I'm okay."_

She looked up at him, tears of joy and anger in her eyes:

" _Don't you go doin' that to me again, you crazy-bat old man!"_

" _Old?"_ he chuckled, _"C'mon, I'm not that old."_

She was still as lovely as the last time he'd seen her in person, over a month ago. Warrant Officer Tila Warren, former a Captain of the Imperial Fighter Corps, had been his longest running confidant and personal pilot he'd had ever since he joined the great and grand spy world years prior. However, it always amazed how so much intensity could be compacted into her almost child-like frame. She stood about a half hand's span, coming up to his nose, with delicate facial features that while aged with slight wrinkles along her eyes and cheeks still made her picturesque without betraying her actual age. All in all, she looked more a school teacher than a veteran fighter pilot.

Granted, hearing of her hot temper and unabashed aim for a person groin (and any other target that came to mind), he never once actually asked for that anyway. He ran his hand along the side of her cheek, wiping away the looser strands of straw yellow hair, tied back in a ponytail, from her bright beaming green eyes. Contradicting her looks, her eyes were like the gaze of a Bird of Prey: quick, aggressive, seeming to take things and react at a glance. Quick-witted and sharp. But more than anything else: fearless. She loved flying more than anything else, and loved being in the thick of the fight.

As she had once explained to him:

" _Out here, walkin' and talkin', I'm never really calm. You've noticed. Don't mind being on the ground, but don't like being there long. I get jittery, always needing to do something. But up here, here 'mong the stars and the dazzles? That's my world. I love every second of it. And when I'm getting shot at… where I can do what I do best, and that bein' putting hurt on some other bastards in the most stylish of ways? Well, that's the time to be living for me."_

That was why the fear in her eyes troubled him. She was never scared during or after a fight. Something else was wrong.

" _Tila,"_ he asked softly as he caressed her cheek, _"what's wrong? What happened?"_

Before she could speak, he knew what it was:

" _Hoth. Rex, Echo Base is gone."_

Too soon, he cursed in his mind, too soon. They were supposed to have more time. He shook his head softly.

" _Did… did they make it out?"_

" _Nothing but static. Either they're maintaining radio silence, or…"_

" _Don't think that. They've gotten out of worse spots than this. They always do."_

" _Hope you're right."_

" _Know I am."_

" _So…"_ she pushed off him and back into her seat, Rex taking the one next to her, _"what's the word on our foxy Ms. Jade?"_

" _Long story. You got time?"_

" _Plenty,"_ she then reached around to a draw in the side, and as Rex expected, drew her signature aviators. See was never one without them somewhere close by, _"Let's hear it."_


	12. Decisions

Chapter Eleven: Decisions

* * *

She stared through the observation deck, watching from afar atop the long stretching hangar as scores, no hundreds, she corrected herself, milled about the many flanking platforms. The cranes and shipment centers shuffling cargo and materials onto scaffolding. And onto those scaffolding the burning bright fires of a hundred more engineers welding new parts to the outline of the ship. The ship, in question, was slighter longer than a standard Corellian Corvette, but that was where the similarity ended. After all, there would be no other ship like it.

It possessed a profile of 160 meters, with a curved bow that formed like the rending steel of a bygone Iron Clad. Along its length were decks upon decks that would soon support the ships armaments, and special equipment to its unique class. Past this, towards the stern of the ship, were its flanking engines built into the style of swooping wings. It's bridge, panted above the decks like most standard ships, gave the vessel the look of a hunting bird of prey. Though that coating hadn't added yet, it would soon be as pitch in color as the vacuum of space.

After all, she noted, it was meant to hide in that vacuum.

" _Magnificent,"_ the chilling, enunciated voice murmured softly from the back of the room, cutting the silence steadily in two, _"isn't she?"_

" _She should be,"_ she remarked, attempting but failing to subvert a note of bitterness in her response, _"I did spend months looking for its inventor."_

" _Yes,"_ she felt the man rise from his seat, the Force informing her of his every move and in this case his all too deliberately pace, slow and methodical, _"though no such thing worth such effort should ever naught be subtracted by… obstacles."_

She shook her head irritably. However, his sudden response caught her off-guard:

" _You still have… doubts, about our operations here?"_

She cursed herself for being so bluntly obvious. But nothing could be helped of it. She sighed softly, and replied in as much a neutral manner as possible:

" _I do not doubt your vision, Grand Admiral."_

" _Yes, you do."_

That caused her to turn about, to stare at her temporary employer. He had his back turned to her, staring at something on the wall. With a wave of his hand, he elaborated his point:

" _It is no secret that many of my former… colleagues, question whether I am still fit for my duties. Whether I am of… sound mind."_

" _You did request a transfer here, Admiral. That might raise a few eyebrows."_

" _Only because I began to see my work would be better suited elsewhere."_

" _Admiral, with all due respect, I don't see how that's possible."_

" _Oh? And how do you see it, then?"_

She shook her head, mulling over her words carefully; her hands wrapping around her sleeveless arms, her gloves cold to the touch. Her eyes fell to the floor, but finally after a length returned to the back of his head:

" _You_ _ **are**_ _the Empire's greatest strategist. Not were. Are. You single handily crippled the Rebel movement in the Outer Rim, defeated the Phoenix Squadron at Lothal, and expanded the Empire's influence beyond_ _ **any**_ _other commander. Including my master's…"_ she paused, reconsidering her derogatory title she had for him, and instead went for a more… neutral approach, _"Chief Enforcer,"_ she then continued, _"To be bluntly honest, you are wasting away here."_

She felt him smile, and despite the genuine warmth in it, she couldn't deny it made her feel… cold. There weren't many men who truly scared her. In fact, there were only two in the entire galaxy.

" _Mara,"_ he turned about, his gleaming red pupils seeming to penetrate her psyche with naught but a glance as his smile broadened a slight degree, _"you do me a great service with these compliments,"_ he bowed his head softly, his right hand touching his heart as he did, _"I thank you humbly for them."_

She couldn't help but look at his left side, where the sleeve was rolled over and pinned to the shoulder length wise at the elbow. Nothing remaining beneath. But she caught herself, closing her eyes as she did.

" _Do not… blame, yourself, my dear Mara,"_ the Grand Admiral soothed softly, _"it is only natural for one to be curious."_

She shook her head at him. Why did he always have to be such a gentleman? She knew the answer. He was a master of manipulation, and she knew that unknowingly she was locked in a game of wits with him. She pressed on regardless:

" _You still haven't answered my question."_

He craned his head softly, bemused:

" _I have, actually."_

" _Then you have yet to explain it."_

" _I have."_

" _Then tell me,"_ she moved from the window, her arms falling to her side, _"why here, then?"_

" _Why do you think?"_

She smiled irritably. Of course, he'd make her play his game.

 _Oh well,_ she thought, _I did start this. I might as well see it through._

" _Well, my first guess is that you're connected here. Somehow. Perhaps through the TIE Defender Project. Maybe you felt your true calling to Advance Weapons Development… perhaps you found a place here?"_

He smiled softly, his hand rubbing his chin:

" _Perhaps."_

" _But I already see a problem with that. You enjoy being in command. Being out there, with the fleet. I know. I've seen it."_

" _Indeed, you have."_

She sighed resigningly, resting her hand on her hip as the other brushed away from scarlet hair from her eyes. She looked up at him crossly:

" _I do know you like to put that brilliant mind of yours to work,"_ again he touched his heart, silently making an _aw_ expression, _"but you could find yourself any position at any academy, in almost any field. A naval section on fleet strategy, a diplomat's center with cultural study. Hell, I could even see you becoming a linguist."_

" _Indeed I could."_

" _And you clearly have no qualms about teaching… well, none that I can see."_

" _And you see much?"_

" _I try. Surely this can't be about your injury."_

" _It is not. It was a fair price to pay for a victory long worked for."_

" _Which brings me back to a point. Your vague view on the longterm."_

" _Vague?"_ he smiled, pacing slowly towards her, _"I have been accused of many things… but, vague? That is truly something new."_

" _I say this because,"_ she froze as he came upon her, towering well and truly over her. His crimson eyes peering down into her, his shadow almost seeming to consume her. She felt his hand at her shoulder as he replied:

" _Because of what, Mara?"_

" _You… you always have goals. Always have a vision at the end. Always ahead of everybody else a dozen steps. While most can't… or perhaps won't recognize that, I do. But this,"_ she gestured with her hand to the ship below them, _"this I cannot understand. What grand vision could be associated with this… pipedream?"_

He chuckled softly at this:

" _Would you not agree that the improvement on this projects stealth technology has… benefited, the Empire? That the good doctor's resumed work on his synthetic Stygian Crystals…"_

" _Constitutes to nothing but a waste of time, Admiral. Yes, having ships and soldiers that can vanish in the blink of an eye is useful. But so was the Death Star. All these assets put into such a small thing… it's beneath you, Admiral."_

" _You truly believe that?"_

She looked up at him:

" _You should be out there, commanding. Not stuck in here, working on something that will get mothballed somewhere down the line."_

He moved past her, standing before the window sill, observing his good work as he replied:

" _You forget they said many of the same things about the Defender Project. That no single asset could ever hope to turn the tide of battle, let alone… an entire war."_

" _That is different."_

" _Is it? Or is it because in the end it led to exactly what it was intended?"_

She raised an eyebrow at him:

" _Surely you don't mean you plan on enticing an attack on this facility?"_

He turned back to her, smiling:

" _Not at the moment, no. But as you said… I do have a great many things hinging upon the development of the Nightbringer Project."_

She shook her head at him:

" _What game are you playing, Thrawn?"_

" _The dangerous kind. A… personal, kind. The same as you. Afterall, your master would not be pleased to learn of you… lending assistance, to me without his… permission."_

She glared at him, but he raised his hand disarmingly:

" _I do not threaten, Mara. I simply state the facts."_

She closed her eyes, bowing her head as did:

" _I am the Emperor's humble servant. But I do not like being caught up in his 'apprentices' many political games with him."_

" _Especially when they costed you someone so dearly to you?"_

Hot anger flashed in her eyes, her voice hardening from it:

" _Vader had his… slave,"_ she closed her eyes at the memory of him, of her opposite number, her arch nemesis of sorts, the man she'd vowed on day to kill, _"he had him…"_ she struggled to form the words, as the memory of perhaps her only true friend flashed across her mind, _"kill her."_

" _It is the way of the Sith, Mara. You and I know their history. They are treacherous by nature."_

She scowled at him, snapping:

" _Lumiya was not just some… puppet, waiting for her strings to be cut! She was my…"_

" _Mara, there are no such things as friends. Not among our… superiors. She played a dangerous game… and lost."_

" _She was doing her duty."_

" _And her duty directly conflicted with that of Lord Vader. It was, ultimately, inevitable."_

" _Inevitable,"_ she cursed softly, turning her back on him. Yet, after a while, she continued:

" _Did you know she was kind to him?"_

Only silence met her. But that suited her fine. She needed to talk:

" _Maybe she saw something else in him. Something she perhaps took a fancy to. Saw him more than just a weapon. More than just a tool to be used… and tossed aside. Saw something… human, in him. Tried to convince me of that notion on more than one occasion."_

" _And yet he dispatched her like any other… mission."_

" _Mission? She was doing her duty, her assignment from the Emperor. And despite her genuinely caring for him…"_

She stopped after a while, biting her lip as she once again stood vigil and still.

" _You will keep to our bargain, Admiral?"_

" _I am a man of my word, Mara. Will you come when I call?"_

" _I already am. Though I warn you, Admiral. Do not play with fire unless you are prepared to be burned."_

" _I have already learned that lesson, Mara. Though I will take your advice into consideration."_

She felt a soft pinging along the side of her trousers. She plucked the comm. from her belt, and pressed the code key. She nodded slowly:

" _My master calls."_

" _As do they all. Will you be taking it in your shuttle?"_

She grinned at him slyly:

" _Oh? Are you trying to keep me here, Admiral?"_

He smiled simply:

" _I may have need of you… soon. But until then… duty calls."_

* * *

The meeting had only gone on for twenty minutes but already it felt like an hour. The war council had been joined by about every major military commander and remaining political representative. The unfortunate result was that Ahsoka Tano never was able to utter a word before the words of war started flying.

" _Vader is nothing more than a weapon of the Empire,"_ General Crix Madine, commander of the Alliance SpecForce, protested, _"at best, a figure head. He holds no true political power."_

Of course, Rieekan was quick to follow up with:

" _General, it matters little what position the man holds or of its true importance. Having him here puts the Rebellion at risk."_

Seated next to her, Leia rose from her seat challenging his claim:

" _Vader has always put the Rebellion at risk, General. It is no different today then at Scarif years ago."_

" _Negative, Princess Organa,"_ the mechanical voice of General Kalani, commander of the third Battlegroup currently locked in combat with the Imperials in the Tophet sector, interrupted, _"Lord Vader's presence here places a substantially higher risk-factor captured than free."_

" _I can't believe I'm agreeing with a droid,"_ Rieekan uttered before turning back to the Super Tactical Droid, _"by how much, General?"_

" _By a margin of over 53%. The Imperials will compromise varying Rebellion units hunting for him. Such an asset does not outweigh the predicted cost of protecting him."_

Ahsoka still had to get used to the idea of them having a droid over two decades ago she'd be turning into a scrap pile now not only on their side, but even commanding his own battlegroup. She couldn't deny his usefulness though. She and Luke would never had been able to escape Mygeeto without him… it. The proper term escaped her.

" _We said the same thing when we sent Commander Rex and his Commandoes to acquire you, General Madine,"_ Ackbar croaked, _"and yet, you have provided invaluable service to us."_

Madine frowned at him:

" _While I thank you for the compliment, my position, not matter how valuable, does not compare to that of Vader."_

" _Which is precisely why he must be kept alive,"_ Cracken responded, _"he has held the position of Supreme Commander for nearly thirty years. We cannot waste the valuable information in his head."_

" _The predicted cost of that will be substantial,"_ Kalani countered, _"how much organic blood do you wish to be on your hands."_

" _My hands!?"_ he growled, _"Do not talk to me about blood, clanker! Just how many died under your occupation of Onderon?!"_

" _I did the service I was programmed to accomplish, General Cracken. I did not have to attempt to rectify my functions by accompanying you."_

" _You should be in a scrap-heap—"_

" _That doesn't change the fact that the 'clanker' is correct,"_ Madine interrupted, _"I served in the Clone Wars as well, Airen. Even I cannot deny that Kalani has more than earned his place amongst us, and his logic in this case—"_

" _Only accounts potential logistics,"_ Ackbar countered, _"once we have him in a proper facility—"_

" _How many men do we need to spend to get him there?"_

" _General,"_ Leia replied, _"we have sacrificed countless men and ships in the past to achieve smaller victories than this one. His capture—"_

" _I am surprised that you, Princess Organa, would be so unpredictable to defend the organic who terminated your world of birth and attempted to extract information from you. I understand that such procedures are not pleasant."_

Ahsoka eyes flashed with a sudden impulse of anger. But when she looked at Leia, she found it surprising to find her face utterly impassive. Then she understood. She'd prepared for such an argument.

" _Yes,"_ she answered at a length, _"yes, as always, you are correct in your assessment, General. A day doesn't go by that I don't relive that memory. That I wish I could…"_ she held her tongue, but they understood the point, so she pressed forward to her thesis, _"but I will not deny that he is more valuable to us alive than not. And more than anything else, we need a victory. We need to show the galaxy the Rebellion can win this war. And Vader is a step towards that."_

" _I can concur with this statement. Lord Vader, if data could be extracted from him, and proven to be accurate, would substantially increase our odds of victory over the Empire by 23.5%."_

" _So, do you agree with us?"_

Kalani shook his head:

" _Negative, Admiral Ackbar. I stand by my earlier statement. And by doing so we stand at an impasse."_

With this, six heads turned their gaze towards the Chief of State. But Mon Mothma simply shook her head:

" _Gentlemen, we are forgetting the opinion of one other in this room—"_

" _With all due respect, ma'am,"_ Ahsoka rose from her chair, her hands planted on the meeting table, glancing over at everyone present, _"I'm not sure what I'm doing here. I doubt my opinion really holds that much worth."_

" _Ahsoka,"_ Leia answered, placing her hand on her shoulder comfortingly, _"of course your opinion matters. You've more than proven your—"_

" _As has everybody in this room."_

" _Not all of us are Jedi,"_ Mon Mothma added, _"you have a gift none of us could ever fully understand."_

" _As does Lord Vader,"_ Kalani interrupted, _"which brings me to an equation that I cannot fully compute."_

" _What equation?"_ Ackbar croaked. To everyone's surprise, the Super Tactical Droid did not answer right away. Instead, he stared right at Ahsoka, craning his head as he did. The movement unnerved her, and did puzzle her to a slight. Was he… considering his answer?

 _How very… organic,_ Ahsoka mused to herself with a smile. Eventually, Kalani provided his hypothesis:

" _Based on the information Commander Tano has provided us, and the known history of Lord Vader, including his association with the termination of the Jedi Order, the likelihood of you leaving him alive was less than 15%."_

" _So, you're asking me why I did?"_

" _Yes. It is a logic I do not fully understand."_

She sighed, bowing her head as she slumped into her chair. She felt her gut knot over and over again as she mulled over not just the answer she would give… but also the truth. The truth of things. Finally, with her chin resting on her upstretched hands, she gave it:

" _Kalani, you are correct in what you said. Darth Vader, he… you all know my history. Of who I am and how I came to be here, among all of you. You also know what he… took from me. I have every reason to want him dead. There is even a small part of me that wishes to put a blade in his chest right this moment. But I chose not to. I chose not to think of what he's done to me,"_ she paused, closing her eyes as she added, _"what he's done to Luke. Because in the end, it isn't about me or even about us. I had to think of the rest of the galaxy. I had to weigh what killing him or sparing him would do for it."_

" _And you decided sparing his existence was more beneficial to the collective unit."_

She nodded slowly, remembering the lesson ironically Vader himself had taught her:

" _Revenge… is not the Jedi way."_

The room was silent for a long span. All eyes about gave her their sympathy. She felt especially warmth from Leia, and she understood why. Out of all of them, she really was the only who could understand. They'd both lost what they cared for because of Vader; because of his actions or because of his… inaction.

Mon Mothma nodded solemnly:

" _Then that settles it,"_ she turned to Cracken, _"is the Retribution prepared for departure?"_

" _We are loading her up as we speak. She should be ready to go within eight hours."_

Again, she nodded. She then addressed Ahsoka directly:

" _Commander, I am assigning you and Commander Skywalker—"_

" _Luke won't be accompanying me."_

She raised an eyebrow:

" _And why is that?"_

Again, she sighed, looking about the room as she replied:

" _We… Luke and I… have discovered the location of Grand Master Yoda."_

Their eyes went wide. Cracken was the first to ask the obvious:

" _When? How?"_

" _The when was during the evacuation. The how though… you wouldn't believe if I told you."_

" _That is why he is leaving, then?"_ Leia asked, and Ahsoka nodded, _"You're sending Luke to find him."_

Madine protested:

" _Commander, I mean no disrespect to you or Commander Skywalker, but surely we should—"_

" _No,"_ she cut him off, _"if you're going to ask for his location I can't give it."_

" _Can't or won't?"_

" _Both. Luke alone knows, and I'd rather keep it that way. Master Yoda has only managed to survive the Empire's reign because they do not know where he is or that he's even alive."_

Cracken immediately understood:

" _Then the less people who know, the better. Chief Mothma, I agree with Commander Tano that his location needs to stay a secret. If anyone of us is captured, we will lose two Jedi in the process."_

" _No need to press, Airen. I already concur."_

" _I don't like this,"_ Madine grumbled, _"sending one man to find him is dangerous."_

" _Dangerous, but necessary, General."_

" _Still,"_ he mulled over answer carefully, _"I understand you have one of Rex's Commando Units there in your fleet."_

" _Alpha,"_ Leia nodded, _"they're still recovering from Hoth, but I have been informed they'll be ready for active duty soon."_

" _With your permission, Chief Mothma, I request they join the escort."_

" _Granted. With Commander Skywalker's absence, I do feel additional protection is warranted."_

She wanted to protest, knowing full well how lucky she'd been that Leia had arrived when she did, otherwise things may have turned out for the worst. And she knew that luck rarely struck twice. But she also knew it was a compromise, and that to refuse it may mean she'd lose everything else. So, she held her tongue, but made a note to speak with the man who trained them, to learn as much as she could about them… and their squad leader. Then her concentration was interrupted as the Chief of State spoke directly to her:

" _Ahsoka, Master Yoda must be convinced to join our efforts. His experience alone could shift the tide of this war."_

" _I understand,"_ she bowed her head, _"as will Luke."_

" _Then this meeting is adjourned. Dismissed."_

And so, one by one, the varying holograms disappeared. Those in the flesh soon filed out. All except for Kalani, who through his ghostly blue visage stared directly at Ahsoka, and Ahsoka back at him. If he could, he would've narrowed his eyes at her. Finally, he seemed to sigh; shaking his head, and the transmission ended.

" _What was that about?"_ Leia asked as the pair of them rose from their seats.

" _I don't know."_

Yes, she did. Kalani couldn't be lied to, or told a half-truth. But he'd kept his mouth shut. Maybe he was more organic than she gave him credit for. Yet still, she felt a great sense of guilt in the pit of her stomach, the cold fingers reaching over her body and into her mind.

She was playing a very dangerous game. She could only pray that it would turn out for the best.

* * *

" _You're serious?"_

" _It's been too long, Wedge. You've always been the brains behind the squadron."_

He chuckled at that.

" _Well, when you single-handily blow up a Death Star…"_

" _Only got there 'cause of you."_

" _Yeah… you did. Commander Antilles, Rogue Leader,"_ he mused softly, _"does have a nice ring to it. So, you're really taking off?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _Any chance—"_

" _If I did, I'd have to kill you."_

He laughed at that.

" _No doubt about that. The Rogues are gonna miss having you around."_

" _Nah, they'll get over it. Besides, they'll have you to worry about."_

" _I do have a few ideas on how to beat into shape."_

" _Ha! Well, leave some of them left."_

" _Why? I've taken on the Empire by my lonesome once or twice before."_

" _Say's the guy who crashed his A-Wing into a volcano!"_

" _Not my fault, actually."_

" _Oh really?"_

Wedge nodded, grinning as he did:

" _Well, there are generally three rules to not ticking off another man. Never touch his money, his ego… or his—"_

" _Woman? You're serious?"_

" _Deadly. You know me. The ladies seem to just fall into my lap."_

" _That's a disturbing image,"_ Luke laughed at that, _"But knowing you, I buy it."_

" _Yeah, well, the funny part was it backfired on him. I broke my legs in the crash, so I was stuck with freighter duty."_

" _Let me guess. Their freighter."_

" _Yup. Speaking of which, are you and Commander Tano—"_

Luke looked at him suspiciously:

" _What?"_

Wedge smiled embarrassingly:

" _You know. An item now?"_

" _It's…,"_ he shook his head, sighing as he did, _"complicated."_

" _Yeah. I suppose it always is."_

* * *

She entered the room, resisting the urge to simply plop down onto the bed ahead of her. She would need to transfer over to the Retribution soon. She didn't have much in the way of valuables, but…

 _BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

She ran over to her bag, pulling out her transmitter. Her heart lightened as the encryption pattern came in. To pressed the panel, and soon appeared a familiar face. Though, an unexpected one:

" _Tila. I didn't expect to see you calling."_

The aged pilot simply smirked:

" _Ah, you know me. Always lookin' to surprise folks."_

She smiled back at her.

" _That you do. I suppose this isn't a social call."_

" _That it isn't, Commander."_

Then came into view was perhaps her last link to a life long gone. Though he tried to suppress it under his discipline, she immediately saw the relief in his eyes. She simply shook her head, and grinned at him slyly:

" _And I've told you…"_

" _Not to call you Commander,"_ he smiled back, _"as you will continue to request."_

" _You know our boy,"_ Tile laughed, _"stubborner than a Rancor during matin' season."_

" _Well, that's very crude."_

" _Know me for anythin' else?"_

She could only smile at that.

" _I'm glad to see you still alive, Rex."_

" _You too, Ahsoka. Is… Luke alright?"_

She was about to answer, but she ended up looking at the third in the party. Tila simply nodded:

" _I'll leave you two alone, then. Just don't go doin' anything too naughty while I'm gone."_

Rex had laugh at that:

" _Tila, you're embarrassing me!"_

" _What I'm here for."_

She left the room, the door shutting behind her.

* * *

Rex could only shake his head.

" _That complicates things."_

" _That is an understatement."_

" _I suppose I don't need to tell how dangerous this is? You and… him."_

" _I can't believe you and Kalani actually agree on something."_

Rex shook his head:

" _Kalani maybe a Clanker… but he isn't wrong."_

" _Rex, I couldn't do it. Not in front of Luke."_

" _I understand that, Ahsoka. But to be honest, he's far too dangerous to be left alive."_

" _Would you do it?"_ she asked him, a note of bitterness in her voice, _"Would you do it even with Luke there?"_

" _Without hesitation. Every death this galaxy has suffered at the hands of the Empire has been because of_ _ **him**_ _, and his actions."_

" _It isn't that simple, Rex."_

" _It doesn't matter. He brought down the Republic—"_

" _To save his family."_

He raised an eyebrow at her:

" _Are you defending him, Ahsoka?"_

She closed her eyes solemnly:

 _"No, of course not. But Vader is still his father, Rex."_

 _"By blood only. He lost any right to that when he abandoned him for the Empire. He doesn't deserve Luke. Not in the slightest."_

Ahsoka allowed the ghost of a smile to pass by her lips:

 _"You almost sound like a father, Rex."_

He shook his head, his fingers reaching into the bridges of his eyes as he sighed:

 _"Luke… is a good kid. I can only imagine what he's going through right now,"_ he looked up at her, _"are you sure sending him to Yoda is a good idea right now?"_

 _"It's not my choice."_

 _"Except Kenobi isn't his master. You are."_

 _"Regardless, he has to. If nothing else, it gets Luke away from him."_

 _"You do know what they'll do to_ _ **him**_ _eventually. I can't honestly say how Luke will take that."_

 _"I can only trust the Force, Rex."_

 _"I don't have that luxury. I can only trust my judgement. And my judgement is to put a bolt in his head while we have the chance to do so."_

She looked at him strangely, giving him a look Rex couldn't identify. It hadn't been the first time she heard someone wanting the man dead. But his eyes, his utter zeal to it… only one other person had shown such… hatred.

 _"Your Commandoes… I understand you recruited them personally."_

 _"Most of them. Wolfe had a hand with the rest."_

 _"And you trained them, yes?"_

Rex raised an eyebrow:

 _"This is about Cal, isn't it?"_

She nodded.

 _"His team has been assigned to the Retribution. And considering recent events… Do you trust him?"_

 _"With my life,"_ his eyes suddenly darted downward, like he was staring at the floor, _"And… I have."_

 _"What do you mean by that?"_

Out of reflex, his hand ran down the length of the scars on his face. He closed his eyes as he explained:

 _"Ahsoka, what do you know about Acheron?"_

" _A little. Han once told me it used to be a haven for pirates because of its asteroid fields. Used it to launch ambush parties on trading vessels."_

He nodded:

" _That's the basics of it. A little after Yavin… I was sent there to convince the pirate gangs that the enemy of my enemy… well, you understand the point. Unfortunately, though, I picked a bad time to show up."_

 _"The Imperials arrived?"_

 _"Yeah. The rumor was that after the Death Star was destroyed, they made dealings with the Hutts to acquire… well, everything they'd lost. Obviously, the Hutts wanted something in return."_

She nodded solemnly:

 _"When I was living on Corellia, a lot of the Hutts competitors… smugglers and the like, were systematically put out of business by the Imperials. I'm guessing these pirates picked the wrong targets?"_

 _"Ahsoka, you surprise me sometimes,"_ he smirked, _"you always seem to find yourself in the arms of cut-throat criminals."_

 _"It's never dull, I can tell you that,"_ she smirked back, _"so, what happened then?"_

 _"Shot us down. Crash landed on the planet. Broke my leg in the process. And to make matters worse, the pirates thought I was a spy… for obvious reasons. But before they could start using me for target practice… my Legion showed up,"_ even after what the Empire had turned the once honorable Five-Oh-First into, Rex still considered it his; still held himself in some way responsible for it as its former commander, _"when the shooting started, I started crawling. Got pretty far, too. But I hadn't had time to cover my trail, and sure enough a squad caught up on me."_

She nodded, understanding:

 _"Maxim was leading that squad."_

 _"You know what the Empire's policy is towards Clones who 'switch sides'. And after the Death Star, most of the Imps had no problem applying that sentiment to anybody they caught. But Cal… he refused. Even when they had their blasters on me, he stepped between us. Told them that they were soldiers, not executioners. Told them that I needed to be taken back alive. Unfortunately, the planet had other ideas. Darkness fell… and the locals got hungry."_

Again, he felt the scar along his face:

 _"The night came alive. Maybe a hundred or so people in total on that planet. Started picking us off, one by one. Until there was only me… and Cal. Had to fight our way through, got up high where we could defend. And we waited for the dawn."_

 _"What happened then?"_

 _"He asked me why."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Why'd I become a traitor."_

 _"What'd you tell him?"_

 _"What I tell everybody. The truth."_

She nodded, understanding:

" _And that convinced him."_

 _"Didn't need to be convinced of anything,"_ he sighed, "just _needed to know there was somewhere to go. Someone he could go to."_

She nodded, understanding:

 _"And he helped you get off the planet."_

He grinned wryly:

 _"Wasn't easy. But the man was persistent. At the end, I offered him a place. He accepted. And he hasn't let me down since."_

She again nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling about him. But Rex simply smiled:

 _"You can trust him, Ahsoka. He's loyal, and his team are some of the best I've trained."_

She nodded, and after a spell, decided it was time for the second phase of the debriefing:

 _"So, how did your_ _ **other**_ _mission go?"_

 _"Well, as Tila put it: good and bad."_

 _"Oh?"_

 _"I managed to confirm that Jade did come through the sector, and her timing matches up with the recent reports I've been getting on the Nightbringer Project."_

 _"So, they found him?"_

 _"It would appear so. It would certainly explain the reports of invisible soldiers we keep getting."_

 _"And the bad?"_

 _"Well, I hoped the facility would point me where Mara would be taking the good doctor. I was… delayed, however."_

 _"What happened?"_

 _"Cody."_

She shook her head at him:

 _"It was dangerous, coming to him. Giving him Uthan's cure."_

 _"He's my brother, Ahsoka,"_ he answered, a darkness edging the tone of his voice as he replied, _"He doesn't deserve to die like that."_

All she could do was nod. For despite the war, and the Empire tearing them apart, Rex would never give up on Cody. And she'd long since given up on trying to convince him otherwise. She quickly changed the subject:

 _"So, what's your next move?"_

He sighed, shaking his head as he answered:

 _"The hard one. I'm going to need to track her. Or more accurately, I need to find someone who can."_

She shook her head warily:

 _"You mean Jacen, don't you?"_

He raised an eyebrow at her:

 _"You never did tell me how you met him."_

 _"Neither did you."_

 _"Yes,"_ he chuckled, _"But I asked first."_

 _"The same way he meets most people nowadays, I suppose,"_ she smiled simply, _"he is a detective after all. I just happened to be a case he ended up stumbling upon."_

He nodded, smiling as he did:

 _"Yeah, that sounds like him. He's got a habit of getting himself into trouble."_

 _"And you?"_

 _"I ran into him during my mission to Mandalore. Gotten into bad debts, and needed someplace to hide. Some circumstances later, he helped me convince Fenn Shysa and his Protectors that kicking the Imps off their homeworld was in the best interests of his people. And after that, I convinced him the Rebellion could use a man of his talents."_

Her eyes closed in remorse:

 _"I… heard he left the Rebellion because of what happened on Scarif."_

He nodded simply:

 _"When the two of us were put in charge of reconstructing the Rebellions Intelligence assets… he got especially close to one of our operatives. Captain Cassian Andor. He lead the team to retrieve the Death Star plans, and Shrike never forgave the Rebellion for leaving them to die. And after what happened to Echo,"_ he closed his eyes at the memory, focusing past it, _"it was the last straw. And they were all too eager to blacklist him for it."_

She shook her head sadly:

" _Rex, the Council will never accept you working with him."_

He grinned at that:

 _"I know. But when have I ever listened to them on anything?"_

She couldn't help but grin right back:

 _"Not once."_

The two friends gazed at each other for a long spill, relishing the time they had. But as they both knew, it had to be cut short.

 _"Take care of yourself, Rex. And be careful. Shrike won't be easy to convince and he's got a bad habit of attracting unwanted attention."_

 _"I know. I've prepared for that. But Ahsoka…"_ he sighed resigningly, _"may the Force be with you."_

 _"And you."_

The transmission cut out, and Rex grumbled in his seat. Now, more than ever, he was worried for her. Especially around… him. More than anything else he wished he could be there for her. Be there to protect her from what would inevitably need to be done.

He sighed.

" _I'm getting too old for this."_

He needed to make another call. To someone… he could trust.

* * *

It was a strange comfort. Feeling the cold blade slice through the hair, strip it away to reveal bare skin that hadn't seen true light in months. Even the sudden coldness that prickled at the exposure made him feel somewhat at ease. He didn't know why. His thoughts continued to trail, analyzing everything that had happened over the past few months as he dipped the razor into the water.

His eyes caught in the mirrors reflection. Holding him there. Almost hypnotizing him to the spot. The eyes felt… alien to him. Like they belong to someone else.

Even the ragged, somewhat gaunt face that beheld him looked like a stranger to him. A stranger staring back at him. Wondering. Puzzling. Confusing.

He shook his head.

" _Maybe I am losing my mind."_

He applied the razor to the rest of his face, the beard slowly falling off in droves into the waste disposal.

" _Please tell me you're not cutting it all off."_

He looked into the mirror and he saw her standing behind him. He half smiled.

 _Stalker,_ he mused, _she lives up to her name._

" _Didn't realize you liked the beard."_

" _Well, it did make you rather…"_

" _What?"_ he asked her through the mirror. She shook her head and grinned:

 _"Dangerous."_

He raised an eyebrow:

 _"Dangerous?"_

She shrugged:

 _"Kind of man you see on the street, you walk the otherway."_

He just smiled, shaking his head as he did:

 _"I see."_

He put the razor to his face and in a flash, the rest fell into the waste disposal.

 _Ah,_ she mouthed, and he just grinned back.

 _"Sorry, Zee. Don't need it anymore, so it comes off."_

 _"So strange to see a face under there."_

 _"Ah, shut up,"_ he playfully threw his towel at her. He then reached for the rest of the soap, applying it to the sides of his head.

 _"Zian, sometimes I envy your race."_

 _"Oh? And why's that?"_

 _"No hair."_

 _"Please tell me you're not going to make some joke about it getting everywhere."_

 _"Never crossed my mind. Who makes jokes like that?"_

 _"Hopeless cases like you."_

 _"Hopeless?"_ he chuckled, freezing as he cut himself. He shook his head, _"Me? Hopeless? Since when?"_

 _"Since always,"_ she smiled. He felt her hand move into his, taking the razor from him. She examined it in her delicate fingers.

 _"Cut-throat, eh? I haven't seen one of these in a while."_

 _"Grandpa gave it to me before I left for the academy,"_ he then took on a deep, guttural accent, _"'Don't trust them electronic gimmicks, ya hear? Fry your brain. If a man's gotta cut his hair, and that he must till day you die, you do it with cold steel. Ain't nothin' wrong with that. Ya hear, idjit?'"_

Zian chuckled at the story:

 _"Your grandpa was a wise man,"_ her eyes grew cold, but the smile still remained, _"I can attest to that theory."_

 _"Oh."_

He never asked about her past. He knew enough. And truth be told, he didn't want to know. But her eyes, in her memories of it all, scared him. Reminded of who she'd been when they first met.

The scar on his neck suddenly felt cold, and he resisted shivering. But she saw his eyes, and the coldness thawed away. She applied her hand, caressingly, to his muscular shoulders and he relaxed. She put the razor to her scalp, and hair started to fall.

 _"Zee,"_ he turned about to face her, _"you don't need—"_

 _"It's fine,"_ she half smiled, _"my fingers need something to do. Turn around. But bend over a little."_

 _"Yes ma'am,"_ hair started to fall around him, _"you clearly didn't come to cut my hair, though."_

 _"Got new orders."_

 _"Already?"_

 _"Nothing too exciting. Babysitting duty."_

 _"I've had my fill of exciting, thank you very much. So, how are the others doing?"_

She paused a step, but resumed quickly:

 _"Doc's gonna be alright. Got him to surgery in time."_

 _"His leg?"_

 _"Unsalvageable. Tendons were too damaged beneath the knee. Had to cut that off too."_

 _"Damn,"_ he sighed, _"he'll be out then."_

 _"Some good news on that front, actually. Getting him a cybernetic soon."_

 _"For him? Wonder what strings he pulled."_

 _"Don't know, don't care. Just glad he'll pull through."_

 _"What's he out for?"_

 _"A few weeks. Tops."_

 _"Good. Not in the mood for a shiny. And the brothers?"_

 _"They're…"_ she paused again, holding the blade up, _"recovering. Marne's taking the Captain's death hard."_

 _"Wasn't his fault. The old man chose to go out the way he wanted."_

 _"Would that make you feel better?"_

 _"No. And Dare?"_

 _"Watching out for his big… well,_ _ **bigger**_ _brother."_

 _"Ya know, for all the crap we give Dare about his height, still don't know if he_ _ **really**_ _qualifies as a dwarf."_

She smiled at that:

 _"Well, he is shorter than just about everybody on this ship."_

 _"Yeah, but he's One-and-half meters. Not exactly sure that qualifies as_ _ **that**_ _short."_

 _"You think too much,"_ she chuckled, _"what are you doing being a ground-pounder, Mr. Philosopher?"_

 _"Yeah, yeah,"_ he waved his hand at her as she went back to work on his hair. He let the silence settle for a minute, letting the peace last. He relished it. A lull from the fighting and loss that had long since become his job description for almost all of his adult life. But alas, it could never last, could it?

 _"How are you holding up?"_

She stopped in stride, her eyes darting downward, her head tilting sideways. At last she sighed, shaking her head sadly:

 _"It's as you said. He went out the way he wanted."_

He rose, facing her, his hands wrapping around her arms.

 _"Hey,"_ he soothed softly, _"talk to me. What's going on?"_

She just shook her head at him:

 _"Hoth… that trench… it brought back memories."_

 _"Ryloth?"_

She nodded, closing her eyes as she did:

 _"I remembered the fire… the heat… the emerald death raining down upon us. The screams… my people… all of them… gone."_

He didn't have the words for her. He didn't know in anyway how to help her beyond just being there for her to talk to. All he could do then and there was just to hold her tight. To comfort her as best as he could. She could only shake her head at it all, the weight of the days, months and years settling into her bones, the sudden coldness creeping over her.

The coldness of death.

 _"I'm tired of losing people,"_ she looked up at him, _"I'm tired of this war."_

 _"I know the feeling,"_ his eyes shifted sideways, away from her, away from everything, trying to hide within himself. He sighed at long last, _"I was reminded of my own darkness not too long ago."_

 _"Cal,"_ he felt her hand caress his cheek, bring him back to her, _"nobody blames you for what happened in there."_

He held her hand tight in his, shaking his head as he did:

 _"Maybe they should."_

 _"You don't mean that, not really."_

 _"Zee,"_ he closed his eyes, his voice growing to a soft whisper, _"He got inside my head. Almost tore me apart. Pushed me to the brink. I was ready to kill him. I was ready to throw away my life because it. I put everybody in danger… including you. You and everybody else."_

 _"Things turned out alright. They always do."_

 _"If the Princess hadn't been there… hadn't stopped me… I don't know what I would've done."_

 _"Cal, you don't need to blame yourself for it. I would've done the same. The same as anyone else in this entire Rebellion."_

 _"That doesn't make it any better."_

 _"No,"_ she shook her head, _"I suppose it doesn't,"_ she faced him again, _"Cal, there's something I—"_

 _BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

They both froze at the sound.

 _"Is that—"_

 _"I think it is."_

Cal moved to footlocker, digging through the Spartan contents until he found it. The holonet comm. unit they'd been given over six months prior.

 _"Why now?"_

 _"Let's find out."_

He set the comm. unit onto the counter, going through the encryption process until at last a familiar, grizzled and war wearied face appeared before them.

 _"Commander."_

Rex simply smiled up at him, nodding as he did:

 _"Sergeant. It has been a long time,"_ he then grinned at him slyly, _"out of regulation again, are we?"_

 _"Sir? Oh. Apologies, sir. You kind of caught us in the middle of something."_

 _"Oh, sit down,"_ Zian chided him, putting him into a chair and applying the razor to the rest of his hair. Rex just chuckled at her:

 _"Never thought you'd become a barber, Corporal."_

She smiled at him simply:

 _"Just performing duties, Commander. Can't have our squad leader going through inspection looking like some hoodlum from Slum 1313."_

 _"No,"_ he chuckled, _"I suppose not. Though I have been to Level 1313. Once you get past the grime and filth, it does have charm."_

Cal simply nodded:

 _"How have you been, sir? Or may I say, where?"_

 _"That's classified, Cal. But on the former, I suppose I can't complain."_

 _"I see, sir."_

 _"Commander,"_ Zian began as she sliced the last of the hair into the disposal, _"no disrespect meant, but I doubt you called to check on us. You need something."_

 _"Yes,"_ he nodded, _"but I did call to check on you. I… heard, about what happen to Captain Barker. He was a good man."_

Cal nodded, grim in its simplicity:

 _"Yes, sir,"_ he then stiffened when he spotted Zian pull out a pair of scissors from his bag. He tried to rise, but she quickly sat him down again as she went to work on his scalp. He shook his and returned to the Commander, _"so sir, what do you need?"_

 _"I need to talk to you about your new assignment."_

 _"You mean our babysitting duty?"_

The rather grim look in Rex's eyes made him stop a beat. Then he turned slightly to Zian:

 _"Zee?"_

She shook her head softly:

 _"I was going to tell you."_

 _"Tell me what?"_

 _"We've been assigned to the Retribution. The Prison Ship."_

He groaned visibly, burying his face in his hands.

 _"Zee, I need the room."_

She nodded simply, quickly disappearing through the door, closing behind her. He then turned to face his commanding officer:

 _"Sir, permission to be frank."_

 _"Granted. Say whatever you need to say."_

 _"Sir, I can't be there. It's too risky."_

 _"You mean because of Vader?"_

He stared at him for a second, before his eyes narrowed:

 _"Commander Tano told you, didn't she?"_

 _"She did, Cal. And I don't blame you for what you tried to do. I certainly would have."_

 _"Sir, that's not the point."_

 _"Then what is?"_

 _"He got in my head. That makes me vulnerable. A liability. One that he could use."_

 _"Cal, I know the Force. It doesn't work that way."_

 _"Sir, I've seen what he can do. I've seen him tear apart men with his mind, strip them of their sanity."_

 _"As have I. I fought men like him in the Clone Wars. Even killed a few."_

 _"But I'm not you, sir. He… pushed me to a place I thought I'd long since buried. And I might've gotten Commander Tano and everybody aboard that ship killed because of it."_

 _"But you didn't,"_ he urged, his eyes adding to the intensity in his voice, _"it takes strength to resist that darkness. To listen to reason. I have seen men slip into true madness, to let it take them over. You didn't. And that's why I need you and your team on the Retribution."_

He raised an eyebrow at him:

 _"Why?"_

He sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair, his head titling sideways.

 _"Call it… insurance."_

 _"Sir,"_ he flopped forward, his hands cupped in front of his knees as he eyed the hologram with a degree of suspicion and caution, _"everybody knows that you and Commander Tano are… close. And considering her history with the man, why not trust her with this?"_

 _"Because I'm worried… that if it came to doing what may be necessary… she won't."_

He raised an eyebrow at him:

 _"All evidence to contrary."_

 _"Cal, what do you really know about Darth Vader?"_

He sighed, leaning back in his chair:

 _"That he's second to the Emperor. That he just seemed to appear out of nowhere from the ashes of the Republic. That nobody really knows who or what he is. And that he single handily hunted down the Jedi Knights to extinction. My superiors even thought he might've been one, too."_

 _"They would be correct in that assumption."_

Cal narrowed his eyes at his Commander:

 _"Sir, am I correct in assuming that Commander Tano knows who he is? Who he really is?"_

He nodded:

 _"The two of them had… a history. One that may cause her to hesitate if it came to it."_

Cal nodded tiredly, before asking bluntly:

 _"Did you?"_

 _"Know him?"_

He nodded. He shook his jadedly, sighing as he did:

 _"I served with the man. I once even considered him a friend. Until he turned his back on everybody."_

 _"I understand, sir. What are our orders?"_

 _"Aid in his escort. But keep a close eye on the Commander, and of course, him. And regardless of orders, if he tries anything… I want you to put a bolt in him."_

 _"I understand, sir."_

* * *

Zian paced at the door, until suddenly it opened and Cal stood at it.

 _"So, what's the word?"_

 _"Go get the brothers, and meet me down in the armory in 20."_

She nodded, understanding:

 _"So, we're going on the mission?"_

He nodded:

 _"I just hope it won't be our last."_


End file.
